Gone Today, Here Tomorrow
by CSIGeekFan
Summary: Spoilers: Through Series 3 CoE . Rating: T for language Summary: Jack returns to Torchwood - a new era and a mostly new team. The epilogue has been posted. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Gone Today, Here Tomorrow  
Author:** CSIGeekFan  
**Rating: **Teen for language  
**Disclaimer:** BBC owns Torchwood. It's as simple as that.  
**Author's Notes:** I always appreciate concrit. While I do appreciate reviews, they are not required. I just hope you enjoy the story.

**X X X**

They'd rebuilt. Only this time with no false front. No sign shouted for tourists to stop and take a look.

Just out of sight of the CCTV cameras, Captain Jack Harkness leaned back, half-sitting on the rope railing of the dock as the first rays of sun touched the sky. With the sea at his back, he smiled grimly, knowing it was out – the secret of Torchwood. The rope barriers surrounding the entrance gave note to that, with their 'Official Personnel Only' signs hanging like dull metal flags.

The anonymity would be gone, now that the world had seen alien life first hand. No government cover-up had come forth, because those who had pulled even the highest strings knew what a stupid move it would be. It had affected the entire world, and the world had responded.

Staring at the small half-sphere office-front, he eyed it critically. It sure as hell beat the old office front that sported a worn-down interior that had driven Ianto to distraction.

"It's nice," Jack announced, loudly.

"Christ, Jack, how do you do that?" Gwen Cooper asked, ruefully approaching from the side. She'd been so sure he hadn't heard or seen. If anything, he'd looked lost in thought – bereft, even.

"I have the senses of a wolf."

Standing upright, he rolled his shoulders in the cool morning mist and thanked the universe for his overcoat. He'd forgotten how absolutely frigid Cardiff could be at day break in early spring. Without ever taking his eyes off the silver dome in front of him, he said, "Hello, Gwen."

"Coming back?" she briskly asked, staring at Jack, almost afraid he might simply disappear again.

"Yeah," he said, finally turning and looking at the woman in front of him. Her face seemed… fuller. More womanly. Like a mother. "Yeah, I'm back."

For a moment, he stood uncomfortably, sure of his position as the leader of Torchwood, but unsure of where he stood with _her_. This was Gwen, after all; and watch out when her temper shot off. He didn't breathe a sigh of relief until she stepped forward, wrapped her arms around his waist and tucked her head under his chin. For a moment, it felt so achingly familiar, he flinched.

"Are you okay?" she quietly asked.

"No," he replied. "Not now. Not yet. It's only been two years since…"

No need to rehash Steven and Ianto. Besides, it was a point of contention between the two remaining Torchwood members. He'd never lay the blame anywhere but at his own feet; she would never consider laying it there at all.

"I like what you did with the place," he said, smiling as the early sun stroked light off it like a brush, making it gleam like a halo. That would be fitting. A halo for those who'd gone before. Owen would bark a laugh at the thought, then say something snarky; like, "Shouldn't the halo be tipped a little to the side?"

"Come inside, Jack," she said, stepping away and holding out her hand. "See what we've done."

"We?" Jack asked as they approached the entrance to the small dome.

In an obvious attempt to lighten the tension emanating from Jack, she laughed and said, "Of course, 'we', you sod. Did you really think Rhys was about to let me go traipsing through the wreckage to reassemble this place on my own, pregnant as I was?"

"No," he stated, not adding he would've paid money to see a very pregnant Gwen ordering Rhys and everyone else on the project around. She could be a bossy bit of goods.

"The world knows we're here," she quietly murmured. "The docks down here are off-limits now, because Torchwood is no longer anonymous. Although, we _are_ still autonomous."

"As it should be," Jack said, stepping to the door and stopping, stock still. There, etched in the reflective glass, were the names. Of all the teams, including his own so recently lost.

Reaching out, his hand trembled as he stroked over Suzie's name, then Owen's and Tosh's – placed together on the same line. Perfect. Appropriate. Then below… Ianto's name. Running his finger over the rough lettering, he sucked in a breath and tried not to choke on it.

"Lois thought of putting the names here," Gwen said. "She's been a Godsend, keeping us all organized. Not to mention she's a whiz with technology."

As tears streaked down his cheeks, he nodded hard and let out a sobbing breath, only to shake his head when Gwen scooted closer. Turning to look at her, he said, "No. No, you don't understand. It's perfect."

Because right under his name was written in permanent ink, "No longer the bloody office of tourism." Ianto would've loved it. Reaching out, he felt for a handle, only to discover one didn't exist. Of course. Torchwood would be off-limits to all but those agents who dedicated their lives to it. Those with clearance.

Those with badges.

"Stand on the blood red brick in front of you, Jack and look into that little circle," Gwen stated. Apparently badges had been replaced with retinal scans. That worked. Then a series of _thunks_ and _bangs_ could be heard, and the door slid open.

"There's now an underground water entrance as well," Gwen stated. "This area of the channel is off-limits to everyone. The local police ensure that, as do our Mariners in UNIT."

Glancing down, Jack frowned. The last he'd heard, the need to rebuild the whole damn thing had been because of UNIT and their failed assassination attempt. Why on Earth would Torchwood be relying on those self-serving bastards?

Gwen must've sensed his stare, because she sighed heavily and said, "Jack, a lot has changed since you left." When he didn't say anything, she continued, "The team I've built… they're good. Just remember that – whatever you do. I trust them."

Why did that sound so ominous?

He'd find out, he mused, as sliding doors _whooshed_ open, ushering him inside. Down a flight of stairs, he noted how light glowed from the base of the steps, illuminating the wide corridor as it sank deeper and deeper, ending at the old cog door.

The pock-marked iron showed its wear, although it had obviously been re-smithed to fit its function once again. As it rolled away, Jack received the first glimpse of the new hub. The excitement that had begun to course through as they walked in through the glass doors surged, and he moved ahead, letting Gwen trail.

Holy hell, they'd rebuilt the Torchwood tunnels, exactly as before; with all its quirks and faults. Just like an old subway stop.

Glancing up, he sucked in a sharp breath.

Without a backward look, Jack strode up the stairs and bound inside his office. He rounded his desk, sank into his chair and laid his palms out on the wood in front of him and soaked in the cool feel under his hands. It felt... right.

"We tried to put it back the best we could," Gwen stated, looking nervous. When he didn't look up (and he couldn't for fear of losing control), she continued, "The explosion collapsed some walls, and we discovered that most of your things in here and the things in your personal space had been spared."

Closing his eyes, Jack drew in a deep breath, shaking all the while. One questioned burned in him and he was afraid to ask. Afraid to go look.

"Yes, Jack," Gwen said, laying her hand on his shoulder. "Everything is there. I didn't feel it my place to remove anything from there." Like Ianto's clothing and other personal affects.

Shuddering out a breath he'd been holding, he finally looked up and gave a watery smile. He'd known it would be hard to return. He just hadn't realized _how_ hard. Yet he couldn't let it get to him. He couldn't. It wouldn't do justice to the living. Nor the dead.

So, sucking in a hard breath and blowing it out animatedly, he rose, held Gwen's offered hand, and said, "Introduce me to the team."

Gwen gave him a gap-toothed smile, drew him toward the door, and said, "Just remember what I said. I trust these people."

_Oh hell,_ Jack thought as they descended the steps. _What's she done now?_

He came up short, though, when he saw a trio of women step over to greet him. Grinding his teeth, he snarled, "_You_."

Jack might've lunged for Johnson, had a screech not resounded through the air and he looked up. A smile spread across his face as he walked forward. Circling high above, the Pteranodon cried out, swooping toward him. As the others shouted, he couldn't help but stare. And smile.

"Johnson, do you have some dark chocolate?" Gwen asked, turning toward the woman in question.

In a flash, Johnson retrieved a large bar and handed it to Jack.

"Come here, girl," he softly crooned. "I've been worried."

Holding up the sweet, he watched her twist and turn in a graceful arc before gliding toward him. In a flash the chocolate was gone – clutched in her massive talons.

As he watched her fly off to her nest, Gwen sidled up and linked her hand through his arm. He'd always adored the creature, and truly had worried about all their 'pets'. Not just Myfanwy. Janet too. All those locked below.

"Johnson… she's not what you think," Gwen softly stated, pulling Jack reluctantly from more pleasant thoughts.

How could he feel so damn tired, when he didn't even need to sleep? The ache, always there – raw still – burned as he turned and walked to join the others. It hadn't surprised him to see Rhys standing among them, although the man would never be a Torchwood team member in an official sense.

And, Jack noted, Rhys had yet to speak. Now _that_ was a surprise.

And it shocked Jack when Rhys reached out and pulled him into an awkward hug, patting him on the back, and saying, "Welcome back." Without thought, Jack wound his arms around the bulkier man, closed his eyes, and held close. Oh, how he'd forgotten what such a simple touch could mean. Or how the scent of another could fill his senses so completely. It had been so long since he'd just been truly held.

"Okay, Jack," an uncomfortable Rhys said. "You can let go anytime."

Chuckling, Jack released his hold, still keeping his arms around Rhys's waist.

With a wicked gleam, he wondered, _Why not?_

And kissed him. Hard.

All the while, Rhys shoved, until Jack broke the connection, grinned, and said, "We'll need to work on that."

As Gwen laughed maniacally behind him, Rhys's eyes bulged. He looked like a man who'd just been given a death sentence.

Letting go, Jack turned as the rag-tag crew moved to stand side-by-side in front of him. Lois Habiba. Gwen. Johnson. Rhys stood to the side, supportive if not a team member. He'd have to trust Gwen's instincts for now. Lois had been useful, cooperative, and with enough moral obligation to know what's what. But Johnson grated on his nerves and had a hell of a lot to prove.

Because if the woman who brought down Torchwood took one step out of line, he'd snap her fucking neck.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Gone Today, Here Tomorrow (Chapter 2/?)  
Author:** CSIGeekFan  
**Rating: **Teen for language  
**Disclaimer:** BBC owns Torchwood.  
**Author's Notes:** I always appreciate concrit. While I do appreciate reviews, they are not required. I just hope you enjoy the story.

**X X X**

From the platform outside his office, Jack leaned against the wall in the pre-dawn hours, watching as the cog rumbled to the side - yellow police lights rotating on posts in the entryway. God, he loved that sound. Something about the thundering noise always made his pulse pound and the Torchwood leader rubbed his hands together in expectation.

Ianto used to snort, tell him the glint in his eyes was nothing more than Jack needing a coffee fix. If Jack was lucky, the younger man would arrive early enough to send the rich scent of the dark liquid wafting through the place. Sometimes, if he was a "good boy," Jack would get a hint of the rich liquid from Ianto's lips before anyone ever arrived. Sometimes he'd get more.

Lately, though, Jack felt nothing but ghosts whispering in the dark, reminding him of what he'd lost. Several weeks back at Torchwood and he already felt haunted. He still hadn't made it to his private quarters, opting to bunk down in the boardroom instead. Of course, to keep Gwen off his case, he was making damn sure he cleaned up after himself before anyone might arrive.

He really didn't want to face it right now – not when the team felt so raw. That was how he found himself waiting in the shadows. Spying, instead of bounding down the steps with a smile and a flirt.

Sliding along the rail, he settled himself into the shadows and waited to see who could be coming in at this time of the morning. He'd already been outside, gulping down fresh air, when the walls had begun to close in on him.

The sound of footsteps brought his attention back to the door, and he smiled.

Lois. Of course it would be her.

On occasion, she arrived by six o'clock in the morning; usually muttering and frowning. She really wasn't a morning person.

From his position, Jack watched her drag her laptop and bags across to a workstation, plunk them down in a huff, muttering, "Stupid bloody dreams. Yeah, Lois, great idea. Work for a place that makes me dream of damn artifacts and Weevils. Or Weevils chasing artifacts."

When she punched at the keys, rather forcefully, Jack thought of Tosh. Pissed off. On more than one occasion, Toshiko had lost her patience with an artifact, a rift alarm, or Owen, leading to mutterings. When she'd mutter, "Daft bastard," no one knew of which of those three things brought on the show of temper.

His smile slipped when he thought of her in the vault – kept forever in a cryo-chamber. Another death on his shoulders.

**X X X**

A few hours later, Gwen, Johnson, and Jack found themselves sitting in the SUV, watching for someone to come out of the building across from them. Lois, back at the hub, was on call to provide remote support. When not necessary, she preferred to stay in the hub, rather than joining the fray in the field. That was fine with Jack. If anything, he'd prefer to be out doing recon and retrieval alone – not that Gwen would ever hear of it.

"So, Jack," she said, "when are you going to come over and spend some time with Evan?" His honorary nephew.

"When we're less busy," Jack offered, nestling down into his seat and closing his eyes. Hopefully, she'd get the point and leave him be.

His hopes were dashed rather quickly. A typical Gwen sigh – sounding like an audible eye roll – filled the enclosed vehicle before she replied, "You've been saying that all week."

He'd been avoiding it. Twice he'd joined her and Rhys for dinner, watching the antics of their lad. Evan was a cute kid with dark curly hair and a quick grin. Jack hadn't held him, though. If anything, the time agent did his best to avoid the child. Gwen must've sensed the hesitation and understood (at least on some level), because she didn't push it; at least not too much. The child reminded him too much of Steven as a baby – gurgling and giggly.

When he still didn't respond, she continued, "Funny, but we've had several days with no activity. In fact, didn't you send us all home early yesterday?"

Yeah, he had. For awhile, he'd wanted to be alone in the empty, darkened hub. Then he'd wandered into the surgery and heard an echo of Owen's snarky tone telling him to stop hovering. So he'd wandered from there down to the holding cells and spent the night listening to Janet growl and howl. And ended up with a headache in a matter of hours.

"There he is," Johnson said from the backseat, breaking the silence.

They'd expected him to look humanoid, but not quite so…

"He's bloody gorgeous," Gwen said, her face an expression of surprise. Then she incredulously laughed, "I'd think if it were me trying to fit in and not be noticed, I wouldn't want to look so…"

"Hot?" Jack offered with a quick grin. _And well endowed_, he thought.

As the young, golden Adonis began to saunter down the street, Jack eyed the lack of traffic and said, "All right, girls, let's go get our man."

All in all, it went faster than he'd expected; primarily thanks to Johnson. When the shape-shifting con-man attempted to throw a right jab, followed by a swift double-kick, she grabbed hold of his leg with one hand, grabbed him by the crotch with the other and said, "I'll bet you're wishing you hadn't taken human form after all."

He dropped like a stone, howling in pain and cupping his hands around his groin. Even Jack felt a twinge of sympathy at the way the former UNIT member had twisted her wrist and then punched. That had to hurt.

As Johnson secured their 'cargo' into a cage in the SUV, Jack and Gwen followed behind at a more sedate pace.

"I know you prefer to shoot first," Gwen wryly stated, glancing sideways at Jack as they walked. "Sometimes her way works best, though."

"Yeah, but does she have to be so graphic?" Jack asked, sounding pained and really wanting to cross his legs.

"I thought you liked graphic," Gwen quipped, grinning up at him.

Shaking his head, he followed. Even he was forced to admit that Johnson had done the job well – used minimal force, kept public interaction low, and in general done good. Then again, he hadn't seen her in a real battle. What kind of choice would she make if it had been a dozen Weevils? Or better yet, what if had been cannibals intent on eating team members.

Would she open fire or try to save those she could?

No one would ever understand the cost Jack paid for every death. Little did they know he kept count, consciously taking the penance of the loss with a grim grin and a constantly thudding ache. Every creature belonged to a place – one Jack could see in his mind.

Did death happen? Oh yeah. Often enough, and often necessary. It never made it easy, though.

Sinking back into the passenger seat, since Gwen had snagged the keys from his coat pocket with a grin, he shifted and stared out the side window. Thoughts of other aliens and their technology drifted through his brain. It had been quiet since he'd returned those few weeks back. So far, everything had run smoothly – as long as he avoided Johnson as a general principle. Of course, the lull wouldn't last long. It never did.

Then again, Gwen had been right when he first arrived. Even without him, the team managed effectively.

"What are you thinking?" she quietly asked as they pulled onto the Roald Dahl Plass.

"Nothing," Jack said, giving her a small grin. "Nothing at all."

It wasn't until Johnson had preceded them down the waterway and into their headquarters that Gwen finally spoke. "And in case you're wondering, I thought it prudent to suggest to Johnson that she leave her weapons in the hub while on a hunt with you."

He really had to grin at that. "Is that why I've only seen her in hand-to-hand?"

In response, she snorted, before answering, "I don't relish having to pick up her gray matter when you find an excuse to shoot her."

_Apparently,_ Jack mused, _I'm becoming predictable._

Walking back to the hub, his thoughts drifted to how quiet it had been – as if combative entities had heard about what had been done to decimate the 456. Not much voluntarily drifted through the rift. At least not now.

He had a bad feeling, though – this was the quiet before the storm.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: Gone Today, Here Tomorrow (Chapter 3/?)  
Author:** CSIGeekFan  
**Rating: **Teen for language  
**Disclaimer:** BBC owns Torchwood.  
**Author's Notes:** I always appreciate feedback. I hope you enjoy.

**X X X**

The longer he lived in the Torchwood headquarters, the less time he spent inside its secured tile walls. They shrank day-by-day, forcing Jack to take refuge in the night, when he could wander aimlessly.

Daylight brought people down the nearby streets – some coming to wait and watch for signs of those inside the hub. Tourists. None knew what it was _really_ like. Others continued on with life before the aliens. They opened their shops farther down the marina, welcomed tourists, and made a decent living. A couple of shops sold trinkets about aliens, Torchwood, and even UNIT. Those pissed Jack off to no end. It was funny how quickly licenses got pulled by the government when that happened. It only took a couple of months to clear those places and for others to move in.

So the area around Torchwood became more a safe haven in the night. Few reminders remained anywhere near the Roald Dahl Plass that the outside world knew about him and the team. Sure, people still came to stare, but only during daylight. The attack, still fresh in people's minds, drove them away from that area of the bay once the sun went down.

So Jack could wander through darkened streets. Passing closed shops, he'd found a few all-night bars a couple blocks away. Sure, they were fine for a good flirt and a drink. He preferred one tiny little dive, though. As of late, he'd hung out at a Café down the street – one of those open-all-night kind of places. The busty waitress doted on him, and he soaked up the attention. But the coffee sucked.

However, it was better than listening to the echoes of the hub, where he saw ghosts of the past wandering to and fro.

It was taking a toll. At this rate, by mid-summer he'd be napping under his car, unable to stand listening to the empty moans within when it sat empty. Besides, he really couldn't handle Janet's howls anymore; and Myfanwy just didn't want to play all the time.

Sitting out of sight of the CCTV cameras, perched on the ropes, he closed his eyes and inhaled deep. The salty smell of seaweed hit his nostrils with the familiar tang, and he grinned. Water had always fascinated him, particularly the oceans of this world. The smells and sounds of cresting waves were so peaceful, and in the dark he could pretend he was home.

Set adrift in a fantasy, he reached back and grasped onto a remnant of his mother's voice, laughing animatedly. His father had been right – he got his mother's laugh; quick and charming.

From the corner of the docks, deep in the shadows, he listened to the sound of booted heals _thunk_ing against the moist boards of the dock and flickered his eyes open. What was it about people showing up at all hours of the night?

"I thought I'd find you here," Johnson stated, approaching with purposeful strides.

He never really knew how to answer comments like that – or if an answer was even needed. So, Jack remained silent. If she had something to say, then she'd have to open her mouth and tell him. Although, it didn't look like she was about to do that voluntarily. If anything, she looked like she wanted permission to speak.

And it pissed him off – at some point, she needed to integrate herself with _him_. Sure he could be a real ass about protocol; all it took was someone really pissing him off. Then he might demand a 'sir'. In general, though, he was a big believer in the 'open your fucking mouth and don't waste my time' type of protocol.

She must've figured it out, because Johnson finally said, "I need to take a few personal days."

Huh. That was different. Even after Owen died and was rejuvenated as a zombie, the medic hadn't needed a few days personal time. Then again, Owen hadn't had a life outside Torchwood. Maybe Johnson did.

"May I ask why?" he asked, filled with curiosity.

"I need to decide whether to continue working here or to be retconned and sent back to UNIT," she replied, her voice sounding weary.

"Because of me," Jack murmured, frowning a little. He'd been playing games with her from the first day, pushing her hard. Really hard – in hopes she would break. It looked like it was his lucky day.

Eventually, she nodded and dropped her eyes. "Do you understand it was never my intent to harm?" she whispered. Her voice rose slightly in volume, and Jack was surprised to see moisture in the woman's eyes, when she continued, "I believed Torchwood to be an abomination; that's what I'd been trained to believe. Had I known…"

"No one knew," Jack replied, wondering why he suddenly felt sorry for the woman in front of him. For a moment, only the thin cries of waking gulls rent the air. Jack stared at Johnson; all the while, she stared at the boardwalk. He was tired of remembering it.

"Yeah, but my part… a lot of things would have been different if I hadn't been so intent on obeying orders," she said.

For a moment, he studied her. Sure, he'd watched her, worked with her (a little), and in general been around; but he'd never really _studied_ the way she did things or the look in her eyes. Finally, he said, "You're right. You did a lot of damage."

He really should let her take off work, he thought. Gwen might not like it, but she'd get over it; and Jack wasn't about to leave. The Doctor called him a fixed point in space and time. That was here, now, at Torchwood. This was his place. His time was forever.

Standing up from his makeshift rope-bench, Jack was about to speak when the alarm on his wrist went off. No sooner had he cleared that one, then another alarm on his wrist went off. Then another. And another. Walking rapidly toward the entrance, he picked up speed, noting that whatever was happening wasn't showing signs of slowing down.

Now was not the time for this discussion.

"Not today," he yelled as the brunette followed close behind. "Today, we get to play with aliens."

For the first time in a very long time, Jack felt enthusiastic. As adrenaline pulsed through every vein, his nerve endings shot to life. For awhile, he could pretend that a lot of shit didn't happen. He could lose himself in the hunt. Did it get any better than this?

**X X X**

"Lois, how many are on the move?" Jack asked from the driver's seat of the black SUV. In the dark, he peered out onto the pre-dawn streets and scanned. So far, he hadn't seen anything; then again, they'd barely arrived.

"I've got ten in total," Lois stated, her voice ringing clearly in Jack's ear. "But they're not really moving, and I think they're inside the structure, not on the street."

Shifting into gear, Jack drove slowly into the parking garage, noting the lack of lights. It wasn't that fixtures didn't exist, but the lights themselves seemed to be out. Odd.

"You should be nearly on top of them," Lois said. "The residue from the rift is _right there_."

Cutting the engines, Jack continued to scan the dim cement interior, and saw nothing. "Get your gear," he said. As Johnson opened her door, Jack grabbed hold of her arm firmly until she stopped. Reaching across, he handed her a gun.

"Don't make me shoot you," he stated. Then he grinned wide and watched her eyes open. He could hear Gwen chiding him about putting fear into a team member right before a potential fight; but she wasn't here at the moment, and he couldn't resist the temptation.

With a quick wink, he propelled himself from the car and adjusted his coat. Grabbing his own weapon, he glanced around. With the vehicle still illuminating the area, he crouched down low, trying to find some sort of shadow in the empty structure. Only one car – a black Porsche – was on the level.

"Is it in an upper level?" Jack asked.

"No, I don't think so," Lois replied. He could hear her tapping on keys – and probably chewing the inside of her cheek; a habit she'd developed of late. A sigh followed, and she sounded confused when she said, "Okay, that's odd. The signal's changing. It's no longer ten entities. I've got five. And holy hell, they're moving bloody fast!"

The words registered at the same time as the first growling roar. And it came from everywhere.

"Uh Jack?" Johnson said, as he stared at two Weevils that had suddenly stepped out of the shadows.

"Yeah," he shouted back.

With her back against his, she answered, "We've got a bit of a problem."

Because she was staring at three Weevils herself.

Keeping their backs together, they slowly moved in a circle – giving each other perspective. "Shit! I don't have the bloody spray."

"Then cover me," Jack ordered. Straightening up his jacket, he slapped a grin on his face, and took two steps away from Johnson.

"Come on, boys," he said, spinning in a circle. "Let's have some fun."

**X X X**

He'd been beat to shit by the time it was over. But it had been worth it – in the lower confines of the fortress they called Torchwood, Jack and Johnson secured the five Weevils, listening to their howls. This wasn't a moan of pain (although some probably felt a good dose of it – he'd had to drop-kick one of them at one point before the bastard ripped his throat out). No, they were pissed off.

With a final slam of a metal door reverberating through the concrete corridor, the creatures were contained.

"Walk with me," Jack said, and headed back to the more civilized portion of the hub, without so much as looking at Johnson.

For a moment, the only sound in the room was the clicking of boots against the hard floor and the fading snarls of alien creatures.

"You did a good job today," he said. "Very good, in fact."

He'd been impressed that she hadn't discharged her weapon in the direction of one of the hideous creatures. Rather, she'd shot above them – a warning shot of sorts.

"Thank you."

Not much of a talker, he decided.

"What we did today – it was important. We've kept people safe," he added after a moment. "It's not about us. It's not about glory." Stopping abruptly, he turned at the sound of an enraged howl and said, "It's about _them_. It's about putting things right – protecting people."

Drawing a deep breath, he thought of those locked in cells, waiting to be shipped back where they came from or simply held for the rest of their lives. He thought of those in cryo chambers, dead, dying or simply frozen for their own protection. Locking onto her eyes, he stared hard when he finally said, "It's about protecting _them_ as well."

"I know," she softly replied, her face set in earnest lines.

"Then take a few days and come to a decision. But if you leave, you will not be welcome here again."

"I know," she murmured, as he spun on his heel and walked away, the tails of his coat flapping behind him.

Stalking through the hallways, he rounded the bend, passed archives, and bound up the final steps. Coming up behind Lois, he glanced at the CCTV to find daylight spreading its tendrils across the landscapes on camera. Soon, Gwen would arrive.

He didn't know whether to be pissed about Johnson or relieved; but he'd be damned if he'd be the one deciding for her. The former UNIT member needed to make up her own mind. If reaping rewards was her idea of bliss, then more power to her. No one here reaped much of anything but shit.

"What do you have?" he asked, watching her monitor flicker around from image to image. He could make out about two-thirds of what raced across the screen. The rest might be an ancient alien language.

"Look here," she said and hit a key. Pointing to the screen, ten faint marks flashed slowly. "That was before you arrived at the garage."

Tapping another key, she pointed to the screen once again. This time, five strong blips showed up, surrounding by an aural light. "This is by the time you got to the location."

"How did the ten become five?" Jack asked.

For a moment, Lois chewed on her cheek, frowning. With a shrug, she finally answered, "I'm not entirely sure _what_ happened. But Jack? The energy signatures are vastly different. Those first ten were not Weevil."


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: Gone Today, Here Tomorrow (Chapter 4/?)  
Author:** CSIGeekFan  
**Rating:** Teen for language  
**Disclaimer:** BBC owns Torchwood.  
**Spoilers:** Through CoE (Series 3)  
**Summary:** Jack returns to Torchwood two years after the events of CoE.  
**Author's Notes:** I always appreciate feedback. I hope you enjoy.

**X X X**

"It seems I've missed out on a few chases these last weeks," Gwen said, taking a sip of her coffee and leaning back in the boardroom chair. "You should have called me on more than one occasion, but do you?" As Jack attempted to look innocent, she frowned and sarcastically, "Nooooooo. Of course not!"

"You know, you'd be more involved in everything going on around here if you showed up at four in the morning," Jack said with a grin as he popped a piece of muffin in his mouth. "That's when all the action occurs."

Gwen rolled her eyes, chuckled, and winked. "Oh, but I get action of m'own, Jack."

"Then maybe I'll join you, huh?" Jack asked, waggling his brows. "Think Rhys would like that?"

The incredulous look on her face had him laughing, but the banter was interrupted by the sound of an alarm, garnering their attention. In an instant, they raced toward the central work stations.

"Jack!" Lois shouted, "come here." As he and Gwen approached, Lois tapped on a few keys and said, "Remember those signals from a few weeks ago? They're back. Same place, too."

"Let's go hunt," Jack said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. "Let's see what we find."

"I'll notify Johnson," Lois said, tapping on keys and staring at the monitor. The woman could multi-task almost as well as Tosh. And the level of faith she put in the team damn near humbled Jack. Sure, he'd seen her hesitate from time to time, but then she'd charge straight into the fray.

When she turned and yelled, "Jack?" he paused in his typically grand exit.

She didn't smile when she said, "Be careful."

Then he and Gwen were running to the SUV. It wasn't like the first time the energy signs had come through the rift; it wasn't the pre-dawn hours of the day. For days Lois had been dedicating herself to tracking the source of those ten signals. The artifact she'd been so intent on and moaning about of late had been put aside, because _something_ came through the rift, only to disappear. Apparently, Lois found that more intriguing than figuring out the heritage for some piece of metal.

Once on their way, Jack flicked on the blue flashing light, speeding past cars. At ten o'clock, he didn't even want to think how crowded the parking garage would be – probably full to capacity.

And Jack didn't believe in coincidence. If something was showing up at the same place, the consequences could be disastrous.

"Johnson!" he barked into the comm. "You're at UNIT headquarters, right?"

"Yeah," she replied, "but I'm heading your way now."

Jack felt Gwen's eyes land on him, and squirmed a bit. Then he sucked in a deep breath, glanced at the curious look on her face, and ground his teeth. He really, really hated having to ask for it. "Tell UNIT I need them to shut the area down."

"Will do. Out," Johnson replied, sounding a little weary. Jack didn't envy her the task, and for once was semi-glad Torchwood had an 'in' at UNIT. They could take care of some things a lot faster – and with a little more patience.

Still feeling Gwen's gaze on him, he sighed, gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white and swiftly scowled at her.

"Wow," Gwen said with a grin on her face, "it's unseasonably warm, considering hell just froze over."

"Shut up, Gwen."

**X X X**

They arrived fifteen minutes before UNIT, and once again they were too late.

"The ten are gone," Lois said from her position within the confines of the hub. "One strong signal is coming through, though."

"What's going on?" Gwen murmured, holding onto the rift energy detector. "I'm picking up traces of activity all over the place."

"I know," Jack said, spinning in a circle and taking in the concrete around him. The smell of exhaust tickled his nose and he grimaced.

"Wait!" Striding quickly, she held out the device, staring at it as she moved. "I think I've found it!"

There, on the other side of a concrete column, she bent down and picked up a ring. The slight glow given off gave her pause and she contemplated slipping the ruby-encrusted object on her little finger…

"Stop!" Jack said, fisting his hand around hers. "Give it to me."

Dropping it in a bag, he looked around once again. Nothing seemed out of place. Methodically, he began to look from car to car until the UNIT agents filed in, led by Johnson.

"Captain Jack Harkness, this is Colonel Wellman," Johnson said by way of introduction.

Addressing the middle-aged man in UNIT garb, Jack said, "Colonel, I want this whole area shut down within a block radius."

"Captain, that's not possible," Wellman replied. "There are a lot of businesses around here. We can't just shut people down for the day."

"I wasn't talking for the day," Jack replied. "It's closed until we figure out what's going on."

"Captain, you don't have the authority…"

"Yes, actually, I do," Jack said, stepping toe-to-toe with the man. Looking down into glaring brown eyes, he watched the colonel frown and his roundish face turn red. "If you have a problem with that, then I'll clear it myself."

"Fine," Wellman sputtered. "But expect a call from my superior."

**X X X**

Once back in the hub, Jack sat spinning in a chair, while Lois, Gwen and Johnson looked over the ring. Lois, used to having space to roam, mutter, and analyze finally turned her head to the right. The sarcasm in her voice made Jack laugh when she finally asked, "Would you like to get a little closer?"

Grinning from ear to ear, he watched Johnson and Gwen both sheepishly back away a little. That pretty creature sure had a backbone.

"Got anything on it?" Jack asked, continuing to spin and spin in the chair.

"If you lot would bugger off, I might be able to work," she muttered under her breath. "You're nothing but a right nuisance."

"That, my dear, is because you're cranky," he replied, standing up and wobbling a bit. Immortal or not, he still got dizzy when he spun. Shooing the other two away, he slung an arm over her shoulder, gave her a wink, and kissed her full on the lips – leaving her blinking rapidly. "I think you'd be less cranky if you spent more time out with boys your own age, and less time locking your brain into the computer."

"Yeah, well, stop bringing me all this damn stuff and I might," she muttered, although the small smile on her lips and the flush of her cheeks belied any real gruffness. "Let me do my job. _Then_ maybe I'll have time to go find a boyfriend."

Heaving a purposely loud sigh, he backed away, and said, "All right. We'll leave you for a bit. But in a few hours go find a boy, have a nice shag, and get some sleep."

Jack, Johnson, and Gwen walked away to the sound of Lois laughing.

**X X X**

She'd taken his advice to heart, Jack noted days later. For the past few mornings she'd arrived at work promptly on time – for her that would be seven o'clock, while the Johnson and Gwen tended to roll in closer to eight. Sitting back and just watching, he knew she was aware of his presence, although he didn't feel the need to nag. He certainly did when he could get a reaction out of her, but that was for fun.

Propelling himself off the wall against which he'd been leaning, Jack wandered down a couple flights of steps. He'd been avoiding the archives – not so much because it had been Ianto's domain but because he was afraid to see the disaster created in the younger man's stead. Ianto had been fastidious to say the least. Smirking, Jack thought, _More like anal retentive._

Stepping into the storage area, he noted boxes shoved against walls with Gwen's scribbles on them. Nothing seemed in order. He really needed to find someone to start tracking all of this. And he needed a medic on the team.

"It's a bloody mess," he muttered at the sound of Johnsons' boots on the concrete floor. "Care to help me clean?"

Johnson, standing in the doorway, purposefully stepped inside.

"Well, it could be worse," she said, frowning at the mess. There was a reason she didn't frequent the rooms in archives.

Picking up a box, she popped off the top and stared at the paperwork inside. All of it was jumbled, and she recognized her own handwriting. A case of two dozen Weevils a year ago had resulted in one unfortunate death, six serious injuries, and a scare for the suburban family where the creatures had hidden. Basements could be wonderful things – but for a family of five, the basement had become a place of nightmares.

Crouched down, she looked up at Jack and stared for a moment. Eventually, she said, "I had ambitions. I wanted to have an influence, and the only way to accomplish that was to be on the inside."

"I can admire ambition, but not at the cost of the principles we're here to protect," he replied. "You're a good fighter – well trained. But we're not the bloody military here, and I expect you to use your brains."

Silence reigned as he studied her. She could handle herself in a fight; while he'd seen her hesitate – struggling to decide on a course of action – he wondered just how different he'd been fifty years ago. A hundred years ago.

Grudgingly he said, "You have potential."

He might not trust her, but she'd proven herself capable. Maybe in time…

The sound of his comm coming to life brought him up straight.

"I need everyone in the board room. NOW!" Lois yelled. In his ear, he could hear her whispering, "Oh my God," over and over.

Launching himself up a series of staircases and down the corridor, he violently shoved open the doors, bursting into the room. His heart hammered at the panic in Lois's voice; and the sight of Gwen, ghostly pale and sinking into a chair, brought him to a dead stop.

"I found something," Lois said, her voice sounding strangled. Tapping a few keys, she brought up an energy source reading. "I spliced the two incidents of the ten energy signals together. I found a code – morse code – hidden deep."

Her hands shook when she pressed a button.

An electronic voice began to read.

_We._

_We._

_We._

Sinking down into the chair at the head of the table, Jack felt every ounce of blood drain away. In its place, his nerves shook violently, leaving him breathless. The image of Steven shaking and dripping with blood flashed in front of him, only to be followed by Ianto in his arms, dying.

"No," he whispered, anguish and fear coursing through him. "Not again."

Then the ominous voice echoed through the room one last time.

_We Are._


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: Gone Today, Here Tomorrow (Chapter 5/?)  
Author:** CSIGeekFan  
**Rating:** Teen for language  
**Disclaimer:** BBC owns Torchwood.  
**Spoilers:** Through CoE (Series 3)  
**Summary:** Jack returns to Torchwood two years after the events of CoE.  
**Author's Notes:** I always appreciate feedback. I hope you enjoy.

**X X X**

He'd gone alone, not because he wanted to, but because he had to. He owed that much to Ianto.

As the sun finally sank over the horizon, he stiffly knocked on the door. When no one answered immediately, he pounded harder with a fist.

"Hold on, would ya?" a woman yelled from inside.

It seemed an eternity passed before the door opened, revealing a plump, dark-haired woman… who reminded him nothing of Ianto.

"I need you and your family to come with me," he stated, walking straight through her – barely giving the woman enough time to move. Looking around, he noted the toys strewn about. This was a house with lively children – ones he could hear in the depths of the home.

"What are you doing?" she yelled after him. Jack barely noticed, because he could hear young voices, and strode swiftly down the hall into the living room. There they sat – the light-haired boy and brown-haired girl, glancing over at him. The girl had the same expression Ianto would get; eyes shining with curiosity. _Mica,_ he thought, and his lips turned up when her eyes turned to a glare.

Then Rhiannon Davies surprised Jack when she shuffled around in front of him and shoved.

Hard enough to make him stumble backwards.

"If you think you can push me around, you have another thing coming." _Shove_. "NO ONE comes into my house and bosses me around." _Shove._ "And we won't be going _anywhere_ with you." _Shove. Shove. Shove._

Looking around, Jack realized she'd effectively just shoved him almost all the way to the door. Shit, she really _was_ like Ianto.

Folding his arms across his chest, he stared at the glowering woman. He watched her crumple, just a little, when he said, "I was Ianto's boss. He would want you to come with me."

With misty eyes she continued to stare; her face turning pale.

"I have to keep you safe," he softly said. "I can't explain now, but I need to take you with me."

Her hand covered his coat-clad arm, and she rubbed unconsciously, while he waited for her next move. Yet, she continued to stare, drawing in deep breaths and fighting to keep the tears at bay. He was saved from begging her to say something, when she finally whispered, "Johnny will be home soon. What do we need?"

**X X X**

That night, Gwen found Jack hiding in the boardroom, tilted back in his chair with his feet propped on the table and his eyes closed. The lights were set to dim.

"If you're coming in, then by all that's holy, shut the door. I don't want anyone finding me," he said, remaining as he was. He'd effectively gotten everyone settled in a set of rooms behind archives and as far away as manageable from the menagerie of creatures; but wanted nothing more than a little peace. Seeing Ianto's family had drained him more than expected.

He didn't sit up and look at Gwen until she quietly sank into a chair next to him.

"I'm scared, Jack," she said. "I'm scared this is the future my child will have."

"Don't," he replied with a clenched jaw, swinging his legs down and sitting up ramrod straight. "For now, the kids are settled here where no one can get to them. And this won't be happening again. I won't _let_ it happen again."

Anger had been bubbling since he'd led an awe-struck Johnny and terrified Rhi down into the bowels of the hub. He'd seen her wide-eyed look when he'd walked them into a make-shift suite of rooms. And he'd seen the look on her face and the physical jolt that shook her when he'd slammed the steel door with a loud clang.

His nerves finally snapping, he hit his fist on the table and stormed out of the room. He needed air. As he passed by Lois, working diligently at her computers, Jack grabbed his coat from a rail and headed out into a wet Cardiff night.

For hours, he stood straight, hands in his pockets, and staring off over the water.

Gwen didn't click off the CCTV until he finally turned and began his trek back.

**X X X**

Johnson was pissed. That much was obvious by the look on her face, Jack noted. _As a matter-of-fact, give her a gun, and she might shoot me_, he mused with a grin on his face.

"You are a bastard," she ground out, huffing into the boardroom and slamming herself into a chair hard enough to send it rolling. "Why the hell do you think they'd listen to me?"

He hadn't, actually, but someone had to talk to UNIT and find out what they knew, and he hadn't been about to do it. Not unless it was necessary. Rhys followed her into the room at a more sedate pace, with a look of irritation on his face. So Jack counted. _One. Two. Three._

"She's a bleeding menace," he grunted, dropping into a chair as far from Johnson as possible. "In fact, I'm not sure she should be allowed in public, that one." He nodded at a glaring Johnson.

A whole three seconds for Rhys to start complaining. A new record.

Quirking a brow, Jack looked around the room and said, "So… I can venture a guess and say you kids didn't have fun?"

They snarled.

"Oh, hush up, Rhys," Gwen said as she bustled into the room and slid into a chair next to Jack. "What have I missed?"

"Nothing yet," Jack said with a wide smile, "but Johnson is about to tell us about her meeting with UNIT."

"They're not happy with us, considering we shutdown over a dozen office buildings and a handful of other businesses," Johnson said. Still frowning. "I spent an hour sucking up to a self-righteous ass just for the right to keep the area clear for the next two weeks."

She'd been more successful than Jack had expected. Truthfully, he'd expected someone to get seriously hurt, a few non-empty threats, and someone's head slammed through the wall before _he_ got that much out of them.

Turning his head and nodding to Lois to bring up the wall monitor, Jack said, "I've set up a schedule. Effective immediately, the garage is monitored on-site."

The next part Jack had argued vehemently against, eventually losing. Lois had made some good points; ones he couldn't ignore. Standing up, she looked at the occupants of the table and said, "I'm setting up camp in the garage, so I can monitor any activity on site. The rest of you will rotate in and out."

"And where am I on the schedule?" Rhys asked, rubbing his hands together with a look of anticipation on his face.

"Oi, you daft man, you're not going anywhere near there," Gwen said with a firm nod. "No way. Not ever."

"Really? And when a bunch of Weevils or some alien squirrel sets off a rift alarm and you're all too exhausted to handle it, what will you do?" Rhys asked, turning to face his wife fully. "Well?"

"Ahhh, but Rhys _will_ be on the schedule," Jack interjected, when Gwen opened her mouth to lay into her husband.

"See? Even _he_ agrees," Rhys replied with a wide, smug smile.

Gwen had the last laugh, when Jack smiled and said, "I don't mean you'll be on _this_ schedule. I'm splitting you and Rhi into shifts. For the time being, you two need to keep Johnny and the kids in line and away from the rest of the hub. We don't want them finding Janet."

"I'm a bloody nursemaid?!?"

**X X X**

"Don't you get tired of sitting in the back of the SUV, staring at your computers?" Jack asked, noting how the mid-morning sun brightened the entrance of the garage near the street. "At some point, you _could_ take a few hours and go have dinner with whoever you're seeing."

"Not likely," she replied with a shrug. "At first he was good for company at the pub, but he turned out to be about as bright as a slug."

Jack laughed as he watched Lois shift in her sleeping bag and nestle a little further.

"It's kind of like camping," she shyly admitted. "I grew up in the city. Never went camping in my life. I always wanted to, though."

Smirking, Jack said, "The last time I went camping, we nearly got eaten by cannibals."

Her crinkled up nose in distaste made him laugh, and he moved to the front of the vehicle. "I'm going to rest up front for a bit. Let me know if anything happens."

Not that he expected it. A week and a half after they'd started the up-close monitoring, nothing but Weevils, artifacts, and interstellar tourists (unfortunately dropped through the rift) had been detected. Closing his eyes, he let his mind drift.

It felt like hours later, when he heard Lois yell, "Jack!"

Bolting out of the seat, he rushed around the back of the vehicle and watched her swing the monitors around. "They're coming through," she said. "They're stronger than last time. Much stronger."

Spinning around, he slowly moved the perimeter of where those ten signals _should_ be physically showing themselves. Step by step, he stared, seeking, and finding nothing. It didn't stop his blood from running could, though.

Not when the ghostly electronic voice translated the words over and over:

_We are_

"I can't isolated the source," Lois said, irritation lacing her voice. As she tapped, Jack squatted down, trying to find _anything_.

Jack walked around the perimeter they'd established, each signal just two feet from the other, and in a circle. Crouched low, he tried to find something, _anything_, to indicate something falling through the rift. All he found was his frustration.

Then the signal faded slowly, but he barely had time to blink. "Jack!" Lois yelled. "Behind you!"

"Well, hell," he muttered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the anti-Weevil spray. "Not what I need right now."

**X X X**

Back in the boardroom, Jack sat at the head of the long table, with the entire Torchwood team and Rhys. With a nod to his right, he signaled Lois to begin – to show what she'd found.

"All right, I've been going through the signals, trying to find a source; but I've had absolutely no luck on that yet," she said, looking around the table to each person. Settling her eyes back on Jack, she continued, "However, there's something going on here that I think is important."

"Go ahead," Jack said, watching as she pulled out a portable keyboard.

"It's coming through more frequently," Lois said, tapping on the keys and pulling up images of the oscillating energy signals. "We've seen that already. But more importantly, the energy readings are stronger each time."

With his elbows propped on the table, Jack blew out a breath and then scrubbed his hands over his face. He really hadn't wanted to do this, but he didn't see the choice. Standing slowly, he leaned on his hands over the table and looked each person in the eye.

"I'm going to London in the morning," Jack said. "Right now, tonight, I want everyone on skeleton crew. Lois, go home and sleep in your bed. Johnson, you're on duty at the garage for the night. You'll have tomorrow night off. I'll keep an eye on our guests."

Looking between Gwen and Rhys, he smiled and said, "There's a room behind archives. Push the right side of the bookcase against the back wall. Ianto used to sleep there sometimes. Clean sheets are stored in sealed packages in the cabinets."

Something his lover had insisted.

"Take your son and spend tonight together," Jack insisted. "Tomorrow all hell is likely to break loose." He didn't need to add that time would become a precious commodity.

"Everyone get rested."

As he pushed himself away from the table, Gwen said, "Hold up, Jack. What's in London?"

"UNIT headquarters. We won't make the mistake of standing on the sidelines again while UNIT decides to play politics," he replied, noting how Johnson had ducked her head. Looking at Gwen, he added, "I need to talk to Martha."


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: Gone Today, Here Tomorrow (Chapter 6/?)  
Author:** CSIGeekFan  
**Rating:** Teen for language  
**Disclaimer:** BBC owns Torchwood.  
**Spoilers:** Through CoE (Series 3)  
**Summary:** Jack returns to Torchwood two years after the events of CoE.  
**Author's Notes:** I apologize for the extra day or so it took me to post this. My time is sometimes not my own. I hope you enjoy. If you enjoy it or have some concrit, please leave a review. Thanks.

**X X X**

Jack loved her smile; and that she beamed it in his direction as soon as she walked into the little pub.

"Hello, Martha," he said, his own grin widening to match, as he stood and waited for her approach. Waving a hand at the seat next to him, he looked around and asked, "What? No husband?"

Barking a laugh, Martha Jones shook her head in good humor. "And have you hit on him? I don't think so."

"You're just afraid he'll prefer me over you," Jack retorted with a wink. With a quick wave, he caught the attention of the bartender and indicated a round for his friend, before sitting back and studying the woman in front of him. Her exotic dark looks had always drawn him in that primal-groin-stirring way, but had become secondary when she'd become such a good friend. Plus, he loved the way she met his stare without a blink. Not many had ever successfully done so.

"You know, I'd heard you were back. The small group we've stationed in Cardiff is all piss and moans about your being something of a dictator as of late," she said.

"Yeah, well, you know me. I have to keep everyone on their toes," he replied, taking a sip of his beer.

For a moment, they both fell silent as a tired-looking young woman quietly set a glass in front of Martha and then scurried away. Picking up the brew, Martha sipped a little, without ever breaking eye contact with Jack, and finally asked, "So, why are we here?"

"A friend can't ask another friend for a drink?" he asked, afraid his grin was coming across tight.

"Yeah, but you're a different kind of friend. You don't go to another city for the sole purpose of asking a friend to have a pint," she replied.

Sitting back, Jack blew out a breath and thought about the woman next to him. She could be stubborn as hell, but in general a straight-shooter. Plus, when it hit the fan, Martha would stand by him and fight tooth and nail. Finally, he let his smile fade a little and said, "You're right, of course."

"Do you need me in an official capacity?" she quietly asked, scooting closer. The last thing they'd need was someone overhearing them.

Taking her cue, Jack slipped his arm around her shoulder, leaned close and whispered, "Yes. Yes, I think I do."

"So tell me," she murmured, leaning into him. To any other, they'd look like very good friends, or maybe lovers, the way they snuggled close. After looking around the room – at the shear normality that hummed in the voices and laughter – he told her everything. Only the way her body stiffened slightly gave away just how much he'd upset her.

Hours later, under the cover of darkness, Martha Jones escorted Captain Jack Harkness into the Tower of London to UNIT's headquarters. It had begun.

**X X X**

"So when's Jack supposed to be back?" Rhys asked Gwen, while standing over the stove in the make-shift home they'd set up in the depths of the hub. Even after completing the trek from their habitat up to the main work area, Rhys _still_ couldn't tell a body how deep the Torchwood headquarters ran. More than once, traversing the odd staircases, he'd sworn it had been at least twenty floors.

"Tomorrow," she absently replied, watching as little Mica and David sat on the floor, playing with Evan. Seeing the giggling little girl roll a ball back forth with her dark-haired angel, Gwen sighed.

"Would ya like a girl sometime?" Rhys asked from behind her, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulders and squeezing a hug.

"Yeah. Maybe," she replied.

"Hey," he whispered. "We're gonna make it through just fine. No matter what this is – we'll come through like last time."

Turning to face Rhys, Gwen looked up into his eyes, feeling her own mist. "At what price?" she asked. "It cost us Ianto last time. I don't think I could take it again."

As he pulled his wife into a hug, holding her close, Rhys glanced over to see Rhi watching them. In the artificial light, her face looked pale; obviously, she'd overheard. Giving a questioning look, he continued to watch the other woman, until Ianto's sister gave a wan smile, nodded, and breathed deep.

Letting go of Gwen, Rhys stepped back over to the stove, while Gwen wiped her eyes and regained her composure. Turning back, he looked out among the living area, clapped his hands together before rubbing them enthusiastically, and called, "All right everyone. The beans are done."

**X X X**

The sun's tendrils had barely begun to reach out and touch the sky when Jack and Martha pulled to a stop on the Plass, and headed into the hub.

Rubbing his eyes, Jack mentally kicked himself for not just taking a night and sleeping in a hotel room someplace. A big bed sounded nice. Lately, he'd only managed to find moments to physically relax when leaned back in the SUV or hanging out in the boardroom.

After making their way past the cog door, Jack wasn't surprised to see Lois sitting at her terminal. However, he frowned when he noted the awkward angle at which she slept; she might be young, but nobody could wake up rested from that position.

"Let her sleep," Gwen whispered, as she ascended the half-flight of steps. "She's working herself to death, and kicking herself for not finding the answers we need."

"Martha, it's good to see you again," Gwen said with a smile, stepping forward and gave her a quick hug. Looking up at Jack, she said, "Johnson just spelled me at the site. Rhys is stirring, as is Rhiannon. They'll both be up in just a bit."

Both? Why would Ianto's sister need to come up? Jack wondered, scowling at Gwen. They were safe below for a reason.

"Once everyone is up and awake, we're taking Rhi, Johnny, and the kids to breakfast," Gwen continued, scowling back. "Children need sunlight. Fresh air. Yeah, the air shafts work great below, but it's just not the same. So we're going for breakfast."

Footfalls on the steps warned Jack before he saw Rhys and Rhi begin their ascent up the stairs. "And it sounds wonderful," Rhys said, grinning. "Breakfast at that little café a couple blocks over. Eggs. Ham."

"Oi, man, get your mind off your stomach for a change," Gwen chastised with a grin.

Realizing he'd completely lost control, Jack turned to Martha only to find her eyes laughing. At him. Stepping around everyone, Jack muttered, "Damn it all. I'll be in the boardroom if anyone needs me."

"Actually, I'd like to speak with you for a moment," Rhi said, stepping forward.

He'd been purposely avoiding contact with her; a fact he willingly admitted to himself. Recognizing the gleam of stubbornness in her eyes, he sighed, offered his arm, and said, "Come on."

His people were nosy enough. The last place Jack wanted to have a private conversation was in front of eager ears. So they made their way to the boardroom, where Jack could quietly shut the door, dim the lights, and lean back in a chair with his feet propped on the table.

"I just wanted to say thanks for doing this," she said.

When she began to pace and worry the hem of her jumper into a knot, Jack smiled and said, "Please. Sit."

"Look, you don't know me, and I don't know you," she said, sinking into a chair. "The fact is, you could've left us where we were; but you didn't."

Uncomfortable, Jack dropped his feet to the ground and stared. How did he get himself into this? Huffing out a breath, he said, "Don't thank me. I'm not so much as warning any other parent."

"You're doing it for Ianto, yeah?" she asked, the anxiety in her face softening.

"Yeah," Jack replied, sitting back and propping his feet back on the table in front of him. An obvious act of dismissal. Closing his eyes, he didn't relax until he heard the sound of her footfalls near the door, and the soft click of the door opening. Then he let out a long breath.

"You know, Ianto felt like he'd been pushed around his entire life. Like he never measured up," Rhi said from the doorway. "And he felt like a failure at every bloody thing he tried."

When Jack didn't respond, she continued, "But when all the stuff with the kids talking started, there was something different in him. He was confident, more self-assured." A tick of time passed before she spoke again.

"And Jack? I won't say I'd never seen him happier. I can't as he was never a very happy child. I will say that I'd never seen that look on his face before – the look he got when he talked about you."

"Is there a reason you're telling me this?" Jack dully asked, dropping his feet and spinning his chair to face the door and the woman.

"Yeah, there is. I'm tryin' to thank you," she said, and gave him a sad smile. For a moment, the mask of responsibility slipped just a fraction, giving Jack a brief glimpse of the tight strain under which she was living. How many times had he seen the same on Ianto?

"I miss him," Jack said.

Ianto would've been proud of the admission.

**X X X**

After a jovial breakfast, the Torchwood crew had returned in much better spirits. With their guests stowed below once again, they'd set back to work with a fervor that had been lacking due to fatigue and stress.

That afternoon found Jack, Martha, and Lois in the garage.

Martha had been analyzing the chemical composition of the cement, while Jack watched and Lois studied her systems. So far, the UNIT medical officer hadn't yet found anything interesting.

"I've got something," Lois yelled, never taking her eyes off her computer. Jack and Martha exchanged puzzling looks and rose to walk over to the young woman nestled deep in blankets in the back of the SUV.

"Comfy, much?" Jack asked as Lois stared at the monitors.

Without preamble and ignoring the soft barb, she said, "Here," and pointed to the screen. "There's a spike at the onset of the ten showing up." Clicking a few keys, she brought up images side-by-side from each of the visits. "Now look," she said. "Look at this. There's a spike, barely noticeable, right before each occurrence."

"Oh, Lois, you're _brilliant_," Martha said, watching as Jack frowned, suddenly understood the significance, and smiled.

"I could kiss you right now," Jack suddenly said, which had Lois's hand out flat in the universal sign of 'stop'.

"I'd rather you not," she replied, sending Martha into hoots of laughter.

"Then how about this," he murmured, grasping that flat-out hand, dipping it in his grasp, and kissing the back of it. Then watching her face flush in reaction. "Martha's right. You're brilliant."

Wriggling to sit up a little straighter, she smiled wide and said, "Yes, I am. Because now I'll know it's coming before the alarm goes off."

**X X X**

The next night, as Gwen and Jack relieved Lois, they were glad for the new early warning system.

Gwen had just dozed off in the back of the vehicle, when the monitors came to life. The buzzing woke her with a start, and she would've called for Jack, but found him already at the ready and looking around.

"I'm still not seeing anything," he said. "Nothing but energy is showing on the systems; but if this follows a similar pattern, then we'll be getting something _after_. Once these guys are gone, the rift will give us something."

"I got it," Gwen said, hopping out of the back and making sure she had her gun in one pocket and the anti-Weevil spray in the other. And as she watched the monitors for something other than the circle of ten, she glanced at Jack.

Then did a double-take.

"Jack, what the hell are you doing?"

"Trying to get some closer readings," he murmured, holding out a modified hand scanner. "Maybe if we captured some of the air around the signals, Martha and Lois could do some… I don't know… tests."

"Well don't get too close," Gwen muttered, glaring at him. "With our luck, you'd get sucked up on one side of the rift and spit out at the edge of the universe!"

"Not likely," he laughed. "I've already been there and done that!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Title: Gone Today, Here Tomorrow (Chapter 7/?)  
Author:** CSIGeekFan  
**Rating:** Teen for language  
**Disclaimer:** BBC owns Torchwood.  
**Spoilers:** Through CoE (Series 3)  
**Summary:** Jack returns to Torchwood two years after the events of CoE.  
**Author's Notes:** Well, here is the next chapter. If you enjoy it or have some concrit, please leave a review. Thanks.

**X X X**

Back in the hub, Jack sat on the exam table with his shirt off. He winked at Gwen, who frowned all the more. Since Jack had walked right into where something was flowing through, she'd been glaring – without even attempting to be subtle.

On the ride home, all he'd heard were muttered phrases. Primarily, "You daft bastard," and "Idiot."

"So you felt it?" Martha asked.

"It was like a jolt. An electric shock," Jack replied.

"Any other symptoms?" Martha asked. "I know you heal quickly, but did you feel anything else?"

"Light headed, I guess," Jack replied with a shrug. "But that could have been an after-affect of the jolt."

"What about secondary residue?" Gwen asked, looking at Martha. "Is there anything… stuck to him?"

Holding up the hand scanner, double-checking the scan she'd performed earlier, she waved it over Jack and shook her head. "Nothing more than the usual."

**X X X**

"Are you sure you're all right?" Martha asked later that evening. The hub had quieted down, with Gwen at the parking garage with Johnson (an odd addition to the team in Martha's opinion). "Anything feel off?"

"I'm fine," he murmured, closing his eyes. The sofa in the break area wasn't the most comfortable; but he could sleep there.

"How are you _really_ holding up, Jack?" she asked, leaning into her friend. "And don't give me, 'I'm fine' again, because that's rubbish and we both know it."

Time passed slowly, with only the hum and typical beeps of machines interrupting the silence. Finally, he said, "I'm still not sure coming back here was the best idea."

"I understand," she replied.

For the first time since he returned, the constant tension in his neck and shoulders eased off a little; because she _did_ understand. And because at least Martha would understand if he felt he had to leave again.

"Just do me one favor," she said after yawning. "Stop by and say goodbye next time. I might even let you kiss Tom goodbye."

Jack fell asleep mid-chuckle.

**X X X**

"Did you sleep at all?" Jack asked Lois the next morning. The woman looked terrible, with dark circles under her eyes.

"I caught a couple hours," she said, tapping away at the keys.

_Well, I've been dismissed,_ he wryly thought.

Turning around, he found Johnson leaning against a wall, watching him with a grin on her face. As he approached, his agent fell into step as he headed toward the boardroom.

"You do understand that the rest of us are used to that treatment," she said. "Lois is usually the most amiable person here. As you saw when you first arrived, she takes care of us."

"It's that sort of general niceness that drives me nuts," Jack said. "I can't just smack her when she pisses me off."

Before they parted at the boardroom doors – Johnson was destined to feed the creatures below – she had a parting shot that Jack would later admit was well timed on her part.

"You know, Jack, you can be quite dangerous when you wish to be," she said, earning a curious look from him. "And when you don't wish to be, your words can be a lot harder than your bite."

Jack stared at her in astonishment as she gave him a jaunty salute and cheeky grin as she sauntered away.

Holy hell. Was he going soft?

**X X X**

It took only four days before it happened again.

This time, Lois had been sent to the make-shift home they'd setup downstairs to sleep; all the while grumbling. Jack grinned as he sat in her chair and stared at the monitors. Johnson and Gwen had been dispatched for the night.

Then at nearly three in the morning, every alarm in the place went off. The sense of uneasiness that spread through Jack made his blood run cold. His pulse picked up speed rapidly, as Gwen and Johnson put him on speakerphone.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Holy shit," Gwen muttered. "You can see it – this thin electrical cord running throughout the place. There are ten… nodes, I guess you can say. It almost looks like small zaps of electricity are flowing between them."

"Jack, if it's this powerful, what are we going to expect coming through the rift?"

That thought had run through his mind, as well. Sure, the increase of power hadn't necessarily meant an increase in Weevils, objects, or anything else coming through after it, but…

"I'm on my way," he said, sliding into his coat as he spoke on the phone. "Just let me get-"

"Jack!" Lois yelled, nearly flying up the stairs, with Rhi following close behind.

"The kids… they sat up," Rhi said. "Mica and David, they're just sitting there. Not blinking."

Fear laced through her voice, sending scorching tendrils of heat down his neck, followed by ice and chills.

Oh God, not again.

**X X X**

It took them a couple of hours to deal with the direct affects of the Weevils – five in total – that emerged. No one had anticipated Rhys so competently handling the shocked parents below, especially considering that even little Evan had been affected. The toddler had sat up on the bed and swung his legs over.

The quiet mission they'd been working – the one that the PM and UNIT had refrained from interfering with – went on high alert. Luckily, due to the hour, not many were affected, so it hadn't yet gone global.

Only the area around Cardiff had seen the results, and since it had been the wee hours of the morning, not a lot of parents had been alerted. Their children would have sat up in their sleep, opened their eyes and stared silently, before falling back to sleep.

Martha and Jack had been working near Lois for hours, pulling in the few reports of odd behavior in children. Not enough to really alert the parents of the potential danger – they hadn't yet connected the dots.

"How long do we have?" Jack asked.

"If we're lucky, we've got three days," Martha said. "So far, it hit only Cardiff. If it goes much further and parents catch onto what's happening, then UNIT is going to step in."

"They can try," Jack replied, grinding his teeth. He'd already decided that wouldn't be happening.

"I should tell you that Gwen's a little nervous."

Sighing, Jack replied, "I'd be surprised if she wasn't."

_Particularly of being around me,_ he morosely though. _I'm the biggest danger of all._

**X X X**

It surprised Jack when Johnny walked into the boardroom a couple of hours later. The typically jovial man had a grim, yet pissy, look on his face when he walked to stand next to Jack.

"I'm taking my family home," he declared, his stance defiant.

"May I ask why?" Jack asked, dropping the reports he'd been reviewing and motioning for Johnny to sit.

"It's not safe here," the father of two replied as he dropped into a chair. "We'll be safer at home."

When Jack didn't reply, Johnny shifted nervously in his chair and said, "Look, everyone knows what happened a couple years back. It wasn't like the story wouldn't be told. We all know that a boy got his brains toasted to save all the kids on Earth. It's just… there's rumors."

"Let me guess. The rumors say I am the one who 'toasted' the kid's brains. Am I right?" Jack asked, his face set to look mildly surprised. No one would ever know the cost he paid every day of his life. They couldn't, because he doubted anyone would ever have to live with that kind of agonizing choice for eternity. Only a few would ever know it had been his grandson sacrificed when all other options failed.

"Well… yeah," Johnny meekly replied.

No sooner had the words popped out of his mouth, did Rhi come storming into the boardroom. Piercing her husband with a look of fury, she said, "You. Get downstairs and watch our kids. Now!"

Had he not felt dulled by Johnny's comments, Jack might've laughed at the look of chastisement on Johnny's face. Instead, he just watched as the rough-and-tumble man walked out obediently.

Turning back, Jack pulled in a deep breath and didn't let it out until he felt Rhi's hand on his shoulder.

"We're safer here. I trust you more than our government any day of the week," Rhi said. "Bloody politicians would eat their young if it increased their popular support."

**X X X**

Later that afternoon, Martha and Gwen took a break from analysis to grab a cup of tea and get caught up in the lull. They'd gotten to know each other over the years – particularly after the attacks and the downfall of Torchwood Three. And it had become a friendship Gwen had come to trust and rely upon.

"So what is Rhys up to, besides taking care of Evan?" Martha asked, taking a seat at the small break room table across from Gwen. "How's he holding up in all this?"

Grinning, Gwen responded, "He's watching a great deal of sport. Apparently, it's the quickest way to divert Johnny. Turn on football or a cricket match and Johnny turns to mush."

"Oh, and you're telling me Rhys has a problem with this?" Martha asked, laughing.

"Oh no. I never said that," Gwen slyly replied. "He loves it." Her expression turned rueful, however, when she added, "However, I don't think he's quite as fanatical. He was muttering about watching a surfing competition. I mean, really, who watches surfing?"

Both women chuckled as they sipped their coffee in the small break area near Lois's work area. It wasn't until Lois tentatively asked, "Can you say that again?" that they even realized she was sitting there. She'd been that quiet. Plus, Jack had sent her home to get some rest – an order their tech whiz had apparently taken as a recommendation.

Giving Martha a puzzled look, Gwen turned to Lois and said, "Rhys doesn't like watching surfing. According to him, it's bloody boring."

"Oh. My. God."

"What?" Gwen asked, not liking Lois's reaction at all. The young woman's eyes had opened wide.

Then Lois began to tap at her keyboard, ignoring Gwen and Martha who came up behind her and watched. Together, they watched as various graphs and scans flashed across the screen.

Martha finally broke the silence in the room when she asked, "What are you thinking?"

"I think you need to call everyone together," Lois said, turning in her chair to face the two women. "I know what's happening." Pulling up the latest event, she tapped a few keys and said, "This is the code coming through the last time."

Flicking on the speaker, the ominous electronic voice filled the room.

_We are_

_We are_

_We are Legion._


	8. Chapter 8

**Title: Gone Today, Here Tomorrow (Chapter 8/10)  
Author:** CSIGeekFan  
**Rating:** Teen for language  
**Disclaimer:** BBC owns Torchwood.  
**Spoilers:** Through CoE (Series 3)  
**Summary:** Jack returns to Torchwood two years after the events of CoE.  
**Author's Notes:** I always appreciate feedback. I hope you enjoy.

**X X X**

"The energy source is riding a wave," Lois said without preamble before anyone was even in their seats. The statement actually caused Gwen and Martha to falter in their steps before following Jack to their chairs. Rhys and Johnson just looked confused.

"I think it's honed into the rift, and where it is – in that parking garage – was a place it locked into early on. If it had happened in Brecon Beacons, we'd be positioning ourselves there, instead. The first time they managed to find a place, they settled."

"Explain," Jack said, propping his foot over his knee and avidly watching the young woman agitatedly pace at the other end of the table.

"Think of surfing," she said. "It's trapping energy coming through the rift and redirecting it. As the wave of energy flows through, the energy is catching the very tip of it and riding through."

"Do we know who or what this is?" Gwen asked. "It's too reminiscent of the 456 to _not_ be related. I think that's an assumption we've all made, since we're all smart enough to believe coincidences don't exist."

"Naw, not yet," Lois replied. "I'm working on a couple of theories on that. However, I did find something else."

When Jack waved his hand for her to continue, she brought up the video of the last incident. Shock waves arched, connecting various points around the circle, as well as crossing over the circle from point to point, making something of a net pattern.

"I wanted to see if there was a pattern in the electrical flow," Lois said. "And at first, I didn't find one. That's when I noted the significant difference between the electrical current flowing, and the stationary points of electrical charge. The ten spikes we see coming through the rift are actually connecting to one another – each in its own pattern of energy flow."

"What kind of patterns?" Martha asked, staring unblinkingly at the monitors.

"Each point has its _own_ pattern – its own distinct amplitude and frequency," Lois explained, cancelling out all the flows except for one. "For example, the… nodes, I guess we can call them… each connects to the others, but if I look at just a single node and the current flowing from it, the amplitude and frequency are the same for each arc coming off that particular node."

"Any idea what the pattern is?" Jack asked.

Shaking her head, Lois replied, "No. I'm working on it, though. There's something about the way the current is moving that's familiar, but I can't put my finger on it just yet."

**X X X**

They relocated to the garage – three on a shift, with Johnson and Martha swapping out every twelve hours. Gwen would continue to spend her nights at the hub, meeting the needs of those residing there. Lois's workstation, temporarily set on a cart, was rolled behind partitions for privacy that were open enough on one side so that she could roll her chair out to watch should anything happen.

"Thanks, Rhys," Jack said, as the last of the electronics were hooked in and Lois got to work, babying her machines. She reminded him of Tosh – primarily, the way she would talk to the electronics in an almost soothing manner, like they could hear her. Not that he would argue. They generally responded well for her.

"Yeah, well, that's me – good for a haul," Rhys eventually replied, glancing around. "Never thought you or Gwen would let me so much as _see_ this place."

"Things change," Jack replied with a smile. Because things definitely _did_ change – and wasn't it wonderful?

"Okay, sweetheart," Gwen said, aiming a tight smile at her husband. Her gaze going a little fierce, she made it clear she wasn't asking, she was ordering. "It's time for us to go."

In response, Rhys gave Jack a mournful look and said, "Then again, some things _never_ change."

**X X X**

Jack was very good at waiting. He just sucked at waiting _patiently_.

Pacing back and forth around the first floor area of the parking garage, Johnson and Lois finally got tired of him by noon and told him to take a hike. Literally. In fact, Johnson's exact words were, "I've told you three times that sex isn't an option with either one of us, and if you don't go do something to burn off your energy, I'll help you burn it off in a way you don't like."

So he paced along the floors above, stomping heavily. Occasionally he ran into someone in UNIT stationed on an upper deck – the only concession Jack had made to UNIT being on-site in the garage.

He'd taken one UNIT soldier on patrol by surprise. The young man, who Jack placed in his early twenties, had jumped. Then his face had flushed a deep crimson, and Jack had given him a smile, sidled up to him and asked, "What brings a nice boy like you to a place like this?"

After stammering, "M-m-my job," Jack had leaned in, kissed the soldier on the cheek, and sauntered off again. Whistling and smiling. That had been on the third floor and nearly an hour ago. Now he was back on the first, hoping he didn't get shipped off once again by two agitated women.

More than anything, he just hated not being able to _do_ something. He worked better while in the midst of the action; and abhorred the mundane parts of being the leader of Torchwood.

Although, even he'd admit he'd had fun attempting to come up with the creative accounting necessary to cover the twenty five hundred pounds for the ultra-expensive coffee Ianto had always kept on stock.

Thinking of his lover, Jack's reminiscing smile fell. Between Ianto and Steven, Jack hadn't gone a moment of his two year self-banishment without thinking of them – wishing for something different. He'd second-guessed himself a few hundred times since returning to Earth, wondering if it had been the right decision; especially spending his nights alone in the hub. How many times had he heard echoes of the past in the emptiness of the night?

Then everyone had descended without welcome on his solitude, and he hadn't had more than a moment of peace since. And somewhere in the middle of it all, he'd begun to enjoy the challenge. Even in the fear that burned in his gut, the thrill of the chase satisfied him more than he'd remembered.

All he prayed for now was a different outcome than the last – one he wouldn't sear into his conscience.

Rounding the corner, he spied the SUV and Johnson lay in the back, with her eyes closed. Wandering up to Lois's work area, he stuck his head over the four foot partition walls, only to find it empty.

"She went to pick up Chinese," Johnson said, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "I wasn't sleeping – just…"

"Sleeping," Jack quipped, with a grin. "It's fine to sleep. You've been on duty all hours for the past few weeks."

"Yeah, well, someone's gotta do it," she muttered, shifting over when Jack made to sit down next to her.

"I'll give that to you," he replied. "You're generally up for whatever gets thrown your way."

"I like what I do. I feel useful," she replied, with a shrug. "It was why I joined UNIT in the first place – to feel like I was doing something important."

"What you did back then – back when the 456 came here – you had an impact on the outcome," Jack said, catching her eye and staring hard. "But maybe I'm willing to admit that you did right in the end."

Leaning forward, Jack started to stand, only to feel her hand on his arm. Turning, he was surprised by the intensity with which she stared back at him.

The tone of her voice – soft and low – combined with the sheen of tears in her eyes; it paralyzed him where he stood when she said, "I can't imagine what you must have felt… what you must still feel. But as much pain as it has caused… you did right in the end, too."

**X X X**

Lois's epiphanies could be oddly timed, Jack thought that evening.

No sooner had the words, "I know why the patterns in the currents look so familiar," than the buzz of an incoming alarm went off.

"Talk fast," Jack said.

"I won't have to. Just listen," Lois nearly yelled, tapping at her keyboard.

It sounded like a high-pitched echo, but faint. Then, as the ten spikes showed up on the rift alarm, so did their corresponding nodes. They reminded Jack of ghostly orbs, floating about four feet off the ground.

"They're voices, Jack. The waves look familiar, because they're vocal patterns," she said, turning a knob on an oscilloscope. "I'm trying to adjust to pick it up a little better."

Johnson, her cell phone pressed to her ear spun around, found Jack with her eyes and said, "It's happening – the children are just standing there. But they're not speaking. Not this time. They're just… standing still all over Cardiff."

Clamping his eyes closed tight, Jack felt his heart sink. The Prime Minister wouldn't be able to keep it quiet any longer. This had just gone global. Opening his eyes again, he focused back on the flashing light in front of him.

Static crackled in the air, particularly when a strong wave would spike uncontrollably outside of the circle – something they'd not seen happen in previous 'visits'.

Moving away from the activity, Jack backed over to Lois, never taking his eyes off the spectacle. As the hissing of static faded away, the speakers emitted a chorus of thin voices.

They stuttered an electronic echo.

"W-w-w-we a-a-a-a-re L-l-l-legion."

"It's really talking to us," Jack murmured. "Let's see if it can hear us."

Stepping forward, he began to walk the perimeter of the circle, never taking his eye off the center. Having made a full round, and received a small burn on the back of his hand from straying too close, he asked, "What do you want?"

"W-w-we a-a-are L-l-legion."

"Yeah, yeah, we got that. Why don't you tell us a little something more useful?" he asked, tauntingly. When the waves began to fade, Jack glanced over at Johnson, shook his head, and said, "I think it's a recording. Whatever _this_ is can't even answer a simple question."

"W-we a-are L-legion."

"Jack!" Lois yelled from where she stood just outside of her nest of partition walls.

Hitting a few keys, she turned to face her boss and said, "Don't be so sure. This is coming through in Morse code."

_We can hear you._


	9. Chapter 9

**Title: Gone Today, Here Tomorrow (Chapter 9/10)  
Author:** CSIGeekFan  
**Rating:** Teen for language  
**Disclaimer:** BBC owns Torchwood.  
**Spoilers:** Through CoE (Series 3)  
**Summary:** Jack returns to Torchwood two years after the events of CoE.  
**Author's Notes:** I always appreciate feedback. I hope you enjoy.

**X X X**

Sitting in the back of the SUV, Jack silently thanked the absent Doctor for bringing Martha into his life.

UNIT had shown up, with what Jack considered its sub-grade equipment (_no one_ could beat Torchwood on that score), and tried taking over. Jack and Martha had managed to forestall the stampede until Brigadier General Newpost arrived. Then all hell had broken loose, because the damn commanding officer had decided he knew best. Apparently being a middle-age desk jockey was all he needed to qualify.

His ineptitude had been bad enough, but then Newpost had said, "We won't be letting you make a muck of _this_ like you did the 456."

Jack had seen red. Literally. Had it not been for Martha stepping between the two men and pushing with all her might, things would have been much, much worse. As it was, the General ended up with a black eye from Jack's sharp right jab.

And the PM had been tele-conferenced in by they – just in time to see the entire thing go down, including the General's comment. She'd taken one look at the man in question, squinted her eyes angrily, and then ordered him to stand down. Jack held no misgivings that she would push Jack out if he pissed her off, but at least he wouldn't have to go to go toe-to-toe with _her_ at the moment.

Nearly half an hour later, and he'd barely begun to calm down, sitting under the open hatch of the SUV. His blood still hammered through his system, though, and he didn't think the insult would ever fade.

When he felt the back of the vehicle dip, Jack sat up a little straighter and let his eyes flutter open. Glancing over, he smirked at Martha, who rolled her eyes in that lovely dramatic fashion of hers.

"I know, I know," he said with a shrug. "I could've blown it."

"Yes, you could have," she replied, nudging him and scooting closer; snuggling into his side. She closed her own eyes when he wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I didn't, though," he eventually murmured, enjoying the closeness of her very feminine body.

"No, you didn't," she tiredly replied. For a few minutes, they contentedly sat side-by-side. Her heat seeped through Jack's trademark coat, and he let his eyes drift closed again.

After a bit of comforting, Martha asked, "When can we expect the next round?"

"Anytime now," Jack sighed in resignation.

**X X X**

Six hours after their last appearance, Lois rolled over on her chair and yelled, "They're back!"

Feeling useless, Jack simply waited and watched for the nodes and currents to appear once more. It galled him to just stand by and do nothing. Yet there was little he could accomplish. But that's precisely what he did – he and Martha stood near where the ten nodes would appear and waited.

Flipping up a large set up speaker and dialing a few knobs on her gizmos, Lois brought up the static signal and joined them. She wanted to see this up close. The UNIT brass watched from fifty feet away, looking none too happy about it.

"Johnson, Gwen!" Jack yelled, and watched as the two women – with intense looks on their faces – walked in from the street. It always struck Jack odd that Gwen – a pixie-ish, stubborn woman – could look so much like a warrior. She did though, considering she marched in with a laser rifle hoisted on her back, a pistol in one hand, and anti-Weevil spray in the other.

Oh boy, did he love her. She reminded him of the kind of woman that elicited every romantic dream he'd ever had.

"We're ready," Johnson said, dressed in a similar fashion. Although they'd only retrieved artifacts these last couple of times, they were prepared for anything and everything. If you worked for Torchwood, it was a must.

"Here they come," Lois clearly said. Considering the frown of concentration, Jack figured she was talking to herself.

The orbs appeared first, bringing charges of electrical current, like little lightning strikes from one to another. Had Jack not been terrified of the potential disaster, he would've thought it breathtaking. Simply stunning.

"W-w-w-we h-h-h-hear y-y-y-you."

"Well, I think they're finally answering us," Jack said, getting close enough to the charge to feel the charged ions on his skin. Pulling himself up straight, he asked, "What do you want?"

"W-w-we h-h-hear y-y-you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got that. Again. What do you want?" Jack asked, trying not to sound annoyed.

"W-w h-hear y-you."

"This is ridiculous," Jack muttered, looking back at Lois and asking, "Are you sure this isn't a recording?"

"We will speak."

Everyone froze. Instead of a stuttering electrical chorus of voice, this one came through clearly. But that wasn't what had every heart stopping. Rather, it was the voice of the child standing near the entrance of the parking garage.

Jack felt his knees go weak, and he dropped when he saw Mica and Rhi standing there, accompanied by Rhys.

"You bastard," Jack breathed at Rhys. More forcefully he added, "I wanted them kept safe." _Locked away from anyone who could hurt them. Locked away from __**me**_**.**

"Hey now!" Rhys responded, looking pissed himself. "It wasn't my –"

He was cut off when Mica, standing like a statue said, "We will speak and you will hear us."

Nobody moved at the monotone voice, and fear coursed through Jack like a whip, chilling him to the bone.

"We will be back," the tiny voice said. And as quickly as that, Mica was standing in her little night dress, blinking rapidly and looking around. That tiny voice that had sounded so assured before tentatively asked, "Mummy?"

**X X X**

Gwen and Johnson quickly dispatched the single Weevil that appeared through the rift, and headed back with Rhys in tow. Gwen, pissed as hell, had begun the tongue-lashing as they headed out; but they'd left Mica and Rhiannon behind.

Mica was currently ensconced in a conversation with Martha, who was listening attentively to the adventures of the small girl.

Grabbing Rhi by the arm, Jack marched her further into the garage, anger vibrating through him. Without preamble, he demanded, "What the hell were you thinking?"

"She can help," Rhi insisted, although Jack could see the fear in her eyes. "My Mica can help this time."

"Don't you get it?" he asked, anguish in his voice. "The last time a child helped, he died."

Images of Steven vibrating on the platform, with blood pouring out of him flashed through Jack's mind.

"I want her out of here," he seethed, with tears in his eyes, slicking down his cheeks. "I can't let it happen again."

"Shhh," she whispered, reaching a hand up to wipe away his tears, and hugging him close. "You don't understand – Ianto had wanted to take Mica with him that day. Maybe if I'd let him, things would have been different."

As misery swept through him at her confession, Jack said, "There's no way to know if she could help." Barely above a whisper, he said, "I'm afraid."

"So am I," she replied. "But I know you'll do everything in your power to keep her safe. I know it."

Her belief swept through Jack in a crippling fashion. What was a man supposed to do with such absolute faith?

Twining his hands on the back of Rhiannon's neck and tilting her head back, Jack looked into her eyes. She had to understand. She had to have the choice. Drawing in a shaky breath, he said, "When we found a way to make the 456 go away, I needed a child. I took my own grandson, ran sound waves through him knowing full well I was murdering him." Staring into her eyes, he squeezed his hands just a little and bluntly stated, "I _murdered_ my grandson. My daughter's child."

Then he watched fear dilate Rhi's eyes. When he thought she was about to acquiesce, he saw something else flash in her eyes. Impatient irritation. The same he'd often seen in Ianto's.

She clenched her jaw when she replied, "And let me say it one more time – maybe if I'd let Ianto take Mica that day, your grandson would be alive. I can't change that, although it tears at me to know I stood by and did nothing. But I can change what happens _now_. And Mica has an opinion. She'll tell you herself. She _wants_ to help. For her Uncle Ianto, she wants to help."

The stubbornness in the set of her face and look in her eyes broke through Jack's resolve, and Jack smiled tightly. Blowing out a fast breath, he hugged Rhi close and said, "Then we'll get it done. And I can only pray you forgive me for whatever it is I have to do."

"For as little as we talked, I know that Ianto trusted you, Jack. That's good enough for me."

Together, they walked back toward the others, with Rhi holding his hand the entire time. Before they parted, Jack squeezed her hand, gaining her attention. Looking down at the soft, rounded woman he said, "You tried to save a lot of children back then. You didn't just stand by."

**X X X**

Gwen and Johnson had barely returned from locking up the Weevil it happened again. This time, everyone was prepared to hear Mica's young voice sounding so eerily controlled.

Lois had the speakers set to low to translate the currents' waves, audible but not loud.

"We will be heard."

Standing in front of the glow, Mica spoke in clipped words, staring straight ahead.

"We. Are. Here."

"Who are you?" Jack asked, kneeling between Mica and the glow of the energy.

"You. Know. Us."

"I don't understand, how do we know you?"

"NO!" Mica yelled. Then, unlike anything before, her eyes shifted and connected with Jack, making him falter and nearly tip backward with the force of the stare. "YOU. Know. Us."

Everything came together in his mind at once, leaving him breathless. Ten. There were ten.

"Oh my God," he whispered. "Twelve were sacrificed. Eleven taken. One died over with the 456. Ten of you remain."

"YES!" she loudly hissed.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, tears pooling in his red-rimmed eyes, speaking not to Mica but the children he'd been responsible for sacrificing – the children he'd handed over to the monsters. "I am so very sorry."

"It. Is. Too. Late."

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"We. Have. A. Message. For. You."

He could only wait, and so he knelt, staring unblinkingly into Mica's eyes. Into the eyes of a child, who spoke with a hard voice.

Her eyes softened slightly as she stared, as did the voice. The words – although clipped – flowed together more clearly.

"We can kill. We did kill. We killed them all."

The child's words had Jack's breath hitching. He asked, "You killed the 456?"

"YES!" she hissed, impatiently, before her eyes softened again.

"We are not alone. We will be LEFT alone," she added.

"I don't understand," Jack responded. They didn't even know where the home world of the 456 was.

"We will be left alone. Or we will kill you all."

Then the full impact of the statement hit Jack, and he was compelled to ask – his voice a hushed whisper. "How many are there? How many worlds had children taken away?"

Mica's eyes flashed forward to the energy that suddenly grew in power, the arcs of currently blending and flashing wildly. Blinding.

This time, when Mica spoke, it was in unison to the vocal patterns coming from the energy in the rift. The sound boomed from the speakers, nearly drowning out every other sound in the universe. Mica could barely be heard in the chorus of voices.

"We are LEGION!"

The humming of power surged and grew exponentially higher and higher, until light burst from the ten, leaving something beautiful in its place. Because within the light, ten small children stood – ghosts of themselves in their current form. They wore no gas masks; but they were bald and too thin. Their features were the same, though.

Stepping as close as possible, jack studied those faces – each nose, each pair of lips, each set of wide-open eyes that showed so much _life_. They were so very _alive_, casting images of themselves through the rift. And they had no family to look at them – to really see them.

"Rhi," Jack called, startling the woman who had been staring at her daughter. "Rhiannon, come here."

Holding out his hand, he waited until she grasped his fingers with her trembling palm and he said, "There is no one to see them. We need to _see_ them."

Together, they studied each face, noting every feature that made them each so unique. Hand-in-hand, they circled, with the children turning with every step so they always faced the man and woman as they walked from child to child.

"You're lovely," Rhi said, as they came to the last child who attempted a smile that looked more feral than happy.

Looking over, Jack watched the tears flow freely and rapidly down Rhi's blotchy cheeks, and he squeezed her hand. Stepping back, he said, "I wish I'd known you before."

What happened next felt like a cosmic sigh. When Mica spoke once again, he and Rhi shifted to face her.

"We will not be forgotten," she said, before letting out a long breath. And as quickly as that, the light flashed brilliant – spreading out through the dark, illuminating everything in the purest white Jack had ever seen; enveloping everything within blocks.

They were gone, leaving Mica standing alone and bewildered.

Turning, the girl looked up at her mother and asked, "Did I do all right?"

"Yes, sweetheart," Rhi said, stepping forward and kneeling in front of her child. Hugging her close, her voice hitched when she added, "You did brilliant."

"They've sent coordinates," Lois said, stepping out of her work area to slowly join Jack. "They've sent their location."

They'd have to erect a massive "Keep Out" sign, Jack thought. Word would have to be spread through time and space – something with which the Doctor could assist. Because the children of that place had suffered enough.

The Planet of Children would be left in peace.

"Hey Jack!" Gwen called, pointing to a pylon nearby, pulling him from his thoughts. "I've found what came through the rift."

Sitting near the cement support column lay what looked like ten gas masks.


	10. Chapter 10

**Title: Gone Today, Here Tomorrow (Chapter 10/10)  
Author:** CSIGeekFan  
**Rating:** Teen for language  
**Disclaimer:** BBC owns Torchwood.  
**Spoilers:** Through CoE (Series 3)  
**Summary:** Jack returns to Torchwood two years after the events of CoE.  
**Author's Notes:** Reviews and concrit are appreciated. I hope you enjoy.

**X X X**

Standing alone in the hub, Jack stared up at his office and sucked in a deep breath. Everyone had left to get something to eat, giving him some space. Yet after the last couple of months, the silence left him feeling fidgety; because he wasn't done yet. He might be back, but he wasn't _back_. That feeling of wanting to 'run away' still churned in his stomach.

"To hell with it," he muttered, finally taking the first step – then another and another, picking up speed.

Running up the stairs and down the metal walkway, he vaguely heard the sound of every step; it was so very familiar, yet foreign at the same time. Every footfall felt like a lead weight pulling on him. Sure, he was trying not to think too hard about what lay ahead, but he couldn't help feeling his gut twist.

It wasn't the office that bothered him – it was the hatch in the dark corner he'd avoided every time he'd been in the office working. Once inside, he glanced idly at his desk – a damn mess, with papers strewn about. Bypassing everything he forced himself to stalk to the dim corner, where the hatch lay open.

He looked down onto the bed below, and faltered. With a shaky breath, Jack took the first step down the small ladder, followed by another and another, closing his eyes along the way. Jack knew what lay below.

With the self-imposed dark, he clamped his eyes tighter, dropping onto the mattress, and rolling (out of habit) to the edge.

_Deep breaths, deep breaths,_ he told himself over and over, as every muscle froze.

He sat paralyzed.

**X X X**

An hour later, Martha, Gwen, Johnson, Lois, and Rhi stepped through the cog door, laughing. It had been wonderful to be out among the living once again; not to mention sending the men and kids down to the docks with some poles and tackle boxes they'd picked up in a small shop nearby.

"Johnson. Lois. Go home and sleep for a couple of days," Gwen said with a grin. "Heavens knows you've earned a bit of a respite."

"You don't have to tell _me_ twice," Johnson replied, and then made the point with a wide yawn. "I don't think I've seen my flat in nearly a month."

As the two newest Torchwood members peeled off to take care of their stations and shut down shop for the day, Gwen, Rhi, and Martha moved into the break area.

"I'm glad they're off fishing. Johnny and the kids are entitled to a bit of fun," Rhi said to Martha, with a grin before adding, "And I'm entitled to a little bit of peace and quiet. I love my family, but they can drive me daft."

"Well, let me tell you that it's been brilliant working with you. And you have a wonderful daughter," Martha said, taking a seat next to Rhi on the couch, slumping down, and closing her eyes. They didn't open when she continued, "In fact, I like you. I like you a lot. You remind me of--"

"Ianto," Gwen quietly interjected, pulling a chair up next to the other two women.

When Rhi glanced at Gwen's face, she noticed more than fatigue. Grief behind Gwen's eyes gave Rhi pause.

"Is it painful for me to be here?" Rhi asked. "I can leave—"

"No!" Gwen nearly shouted, and leaned forward. Grasping Rhi's hands in her own, she brought them to settle on her knees, pulling Rhi forward. "Oh no, it's wonderful having you here. It just hurts not to have _him_ hovering about, taking care of the details we never knew existed. He was so…"

"Obnoxious? Daft? Anal?" Rhi asked with a grin. When Gwen smiled, Rhi laughed and said, "He was always very… fastidious. Even as a child. Everything had its place; my father always thought he was a bit obsessive."

"He took care of us," Gwen softly said. "He always took care of us; particularly Jack."

"Yeah," Martha interjected, her eyes still closed and her arms crossed in front of her. She grinned as she added, "He and Jack… that was something I never thought I'd see. The great Captain Jack Harkness in a monogamous relationship."

"Well, it happened. And none of us gave either of them credit for being good for each other," Gwen replied. "None of us ever gave them credit for their relationship being more than a convenient shag."

While listening, Rhi frowned. There was so much of her brother she simply didn't know. The boy who had left home in a rush and not come back, except for the mandatory visits wasn't the man being described. And Jack… she couldn't quite figure out their entire relationship, but she'd seen something in her baby brother's eyes. She knew that look.

"Speaking of Jack, where is he?" Rhi asked.

"Probably in the boardroom," Gwen said with a snort. "He thinks I haven't figured out he's sleeping in there."

"Why?" Martha asked, finally opening her eyes.

Letting go of Rhi's hands, Gwen sat back and replied, "Because his hidey-hole – his bunker – holds a lot of memories, and he's afraid to face them."

"Where is it?" Rhi asked, her curiosity peaked.

"In his office," Gwen replied. "Back corner. I found it by accident – fell straight through the floor. Damn good thing his bed's right under it or I would've broken my leg."

Standing up, Rhi looked at Gwen and said, "I know you're on duty still, but at least get a bit of sleep. You're dead on your feet."

Waving her hand at the empty space on the couch, she watched as a bemused Gwen moved over and sank into the cushions. Both women snuggled down a bit more when Rhi pulled a blanket off the back of the furniture as spread it over them, effectively tucking them in. Once Gwen's eyes were closed, Rhi quietly walked out. She knew where Jack's office lay. Lois had pointed it out at one point.

After setting some coffee she found in the freezer to brew, she set out to find Jack.

**X X X**

He knew he should move, but not a single muscle wanted to cooperate. For that matter, his ears were buzzing, and time had become rather meaningless as he had no clue how long he'd been sitting there. All Jack knew was that he needed to move, and his nervous system wasn't obliging.

Then something landed with a thump on the bed, and he jumped up and spun around. Nobody ever came down here but Ianto, and part of him expected to find his young lover giving him a raised eyebrow and wry grin. Jack didn't expect to find Rhiannon standing on wobbly legs in the middle of his bed, and looking around the dimly lit room.

"Holy hell, you _live_ here?" she asked – her voice a mix of awe and disgust.

"Sort of," Jack muttered, turning his back to her and sinking back onto the edge of the bed. He went back to staring at the contents of the room – the small desk and chair, the wardrobe that lay open, with clothes strewn about. The last time he'd been in here, he and Ianto had snuck away for a few minutes for an intense make-out session. They'd been unceremoniously interrupted by a rift alarm.

Lying across the back of the chair, Jack stared at the burgundy tie. He'd given that to Ianto for his birthday, and been tied up with it as a reward.

"Are you normally this much of a slob?" Rhi asked, making her way over to him and sitting on the edge of the mussed-up bed. At the end of the mattress, the blanket half dangled on the floor, and she shook her head.

"He wouldn't let me," Jack murmured.

"Well, we were raised by the same father," Rhi replied. "And Ianto was always a tidy boy."

"He was a pain in the ass adult," Jack said, turning his head and looking down at the dark-haired woman. "He'd get pissy at me for not picking my clothes up off the bathroom floor. He threw them in my face more than once and asked why a four year old could manage a hamper but I couldn't."

Jack grinned at that memory, because he'd been naked, dripping wet, and in a very happy mood; the argument had ended with both of them in the shower.

Silence descended between Jack and Rhi, and he continued to spy things throughout the room that so obviously belonged to Ianto. What should he do with them? The mere thought of getting rid of that tie hurt. It all hurt.

He might have sat there another few hours in blessed silence, except Rhi had other things in mind. Making her way first to the wardrobe, she noted the suits hanging alongside Jack's more relaxed clothing. Running her hand over the sleeve, she sighed and pulled the garment out and held it up.

"Was this one of his favorites?" she asked, aching that she didn't know even this much of her brother.

"No," Jack replied. Raising a tired hand, he pointed. "He liked that one – the pin-stripe one." He paused for a moment, before more quietly adding, "I liked it too. Made him look debonair. Dashing."

Taking the suit in her hand, she set it off to the side, picked up the favored ensemble, and set it near the desk. Grabbing the rest of the suits, she laid them with the first. Turning to Jack, she asked, "What shoes did he love?"

"Those raggedy tennis shoes," Jack murmured. When no one else was about, the dress shoes would often come off, Ianto would flex his toes, and slip his feet into running shoes that looked like they'd been chewed on by a Weevil and spit out. Jack had always thought it was kind of cute, and insisted that Ianto be comfortable when they were alone. So the shoes spent a great deal of time in the bunker.

Slowly, Rhi made her way through all of Ianto's clothes, keeping only the favored items, and putting the rest to the side. Then she made her way to the desk. Picking up a small toy train, she smiled and said, "My boy used to have this."

_Steven's_. That was the only thing he had of his grandson. A toy Jack had pilfered on a visit years ago, when he'd gone for a rare visit.

"My grandson's," he said. "That was his."

Smiling, Rhi put it next to Ianto's suit and laid her hand over the tie. Jack's face must have given away something significant, because she carefully picked it up and placed it on the pile of special things she was collecting.

Around and around the room she went, going through everything, until Jack stopped her at the bottom bureau drawer.

"You really don't want to open that," he said, his voice sounding loud to his own ears. He figured he must've yelled, because Rhi jumped away from the bureau and turned to look at him. More wryly, he said, "I've found that some people are more… sensitive… about sexuality in this century. There may be things you don't wish to know about your brother."

He chuckled when her mouth formed an "O" and she stared at him unblinking. When she didn't move, he grinned and said, "But if you're really curious, go ahead."

"Um, no," she nearly squeaked. After clearing her throat, she still sounded strangled when she said, "No, thank you. I'm sure you're right."

After that, she disappeared into the bathroom; all the while Jack sat on the bed and listened to the muffled sounds from the other room. It was more comforting than he'd expected. Eventually, Jack found himself being led away from the bed and settled in the chair she'd cleaned off. He just watched as she changed the sheets from those stored in one of Ianto's sealed bags.

He didn't know how long he'd been there watching Rhi clean, wipe, and clean again. Her actions reminded him so much of her brother that Jack actually enjoyed the presence – the comfort of routine. When she finally finished, she ran a hand over the blanket and sat on the edge of the bed.

"You'll need to help me with this part," she said. "You need to take this pile of clothing and get rid of it." When he didn't move – just stared at the stack – she more sternly (and with the tone only a mother could master) commanded, "Right now, if you please."

Slowly, he wadded everything into a bundle, climbed up on the bed, and tossed it above. It didn't take long to find a bag and toss the entire thing out the office door – literally. He'd done about as much as he could handle. A quick throw seemed the only real option besides setting it on his desk, pulling it all out, and weeping uncontrollably.

Dropping back into the bunker, he sighed at the sight in front of him. Up on a newly polished shelf, Steven's toy gleamed alongside Ianto's tie that had been jauntily placed, hanging slightly over the edge. And beside both, she'd placed a picture.

Jack could remember when it had been taken. Tosh had gotten a new camera for field work and was testing out the timer. The five of them had squished onto the couch. Jack sat in the middle, with Owen on one side and Ianto on the other. Tosh sat on Owen's lap, smiling shyly at the scowling doctor. Gwen sat smiling wide at the camera on both Ianto and Jack – their knees had been touching, giving her the perfect seat.

And just as the camera had flashed, Jack had run a thumb down the side of Ianto's neck, making the young man flush a little and look in his direction.

Jack really loved that picture.

"Thank you," he said, noting how she bundled up the remaining items. Concerned, he asked, "You aren't throwing those away, are you?"

"No," she replied. "However, I know where the archives are located in the bowels of this massive place. I spent a few hours trying to figure out Ianto's organizational method – fairly straightforward actually. It seems to me they can be sealed and placed down there."

Confused, Jack asked, "How do you know about the archives?"

Rhi shrugged and said, "Rhys told me some. Then Gwen took me down there and asked if I knew how Ianto's brain worked, because she couldn't find shit in there. Over the course of the last couple of years, the place had become something akin to a natural disaster."

Frowning, he muttered, "I hadn't wanted to retcon you. I really hadn't. But only Torchwood sees that place."

"Just like only Torchwood knows that you cryo your former members?" she asked, nonchalantly.

"Gwen told you about that?"

"I never go to see him," she replied quietly, and Jack watched as her tears pooled up in her eyes and slipped down her pale cheeks. "I never got to really say goodbye to him. So she took me down there a couple weeks ago."

Stepping in front of her, Jack pulled Rhi into his arms and set his chin on top of her head. He'd broken the rules for far worse things.

**X X X**

When Jack and Rhi walked through the break area, they grinned at the two women leaning into each other, open-mouthed and softly snoring. Inhaling appreciatively, he raised a brow in question and Rhi led him to Ianto's coffee machine, where she poured a couple of mugs. Quietly, they left Gwen and Martha alone and made their way down past the morgue and further down still.

Holding the last few items Jack wanted to keep, he pushed open the door to the archives and blinked. Shutting his eyes hard, he opened them again and let out a small whistle.

"You did this?" he asked, as Rhi stepped inside, placed the mugs on the clean desk, and found a box.

"Well, yeah," she murmured. Relieving Jack of the contents in his arms, she began to pack. "The system wasn't hard to figure out, once a few pertinent facts fell into place."

"Like what?" Jack asked, looking at the neatly stacked boxes with legible and logical labels attached.

"Well, for one, I found out you can't die. Or rather, you can, but you come back to life," she said. "You'd be amazed how many things in this system revolve around your death. So long as I remember that those things destined for storage that revolved around your dying were very personal to Yan, and that alien activity just got sorted chronologically, then it was easy to figure out."

Grinning, she shrugged and added, "My brother's journals clearly outlined the dates, times, and events of your many deaths. I just had to coordinate my searches."

Placing the lid on the contents, she grabbed a marker, made a note on the box, and proceeded to flip open a ledger to make a corresponding mark there. Looking up, she picked up her own mug, took a sip, and smiled. "It became very obvious that he did not like it when you died."

"Yeah, well, I didn't much like it, either," Jack replied, still examining the room in awe. Before Ianto had come along, the place had been a catastrophe. In the last two years, it had gotten even worse. Only Ianto had been able to keep it organized.

The idea formed so slowly, yet firmly, that by the time he got done with his perusal and stood in front of the desk, he didn't even think. He just spoke. "Did anyone ever tell you about Ianto's job here?"

"Not in so much detail, although I got a general idea the last time I saw him," Rhi replied, with a shrug.

"Actually, he kept this place in shape. He organized us, picked up after us, and reminded us on a regular basis that we're human," Jack said. "We can be demanding, insulting, and annoying. Particularly me."

Smiling, Rhi stood and rounded the desk. Settling herself to lean on the wooden desk, she looked up at Jack, grinned, and asked, "Why Jack Harkness, are you offering me a job?"

"We'll drive you nuts," he said.

"If Johnny can't, then I doubt you can, either," she retorted, still smiling. "And even though the kids are in school most of the day, I won't work late. I'll come in, do my job, and be gone each afternoon so I can be home when the kids get home. We're talking only part-time."

"I'll expect you to keep everything organized, handle some of the crap paperwork I don't want to, and make coffee," he retorted.

"I'll want to be well compensated and get a Christmas bonus each year," she countered.

"Sometimes you'll have to work weekends."

"No, I won't," she replied, watching him rock back on his heels.

"Fine," he eventually grunted.

"Fine," she agreed, watching his grin grow a little with each passing moment.

Pulling her into a quick hug, he dropped a kiss on the top of her head, released her, and took a long drink of coffee. Raising the mug in a salute, he said, "Welcome to Torchwood."

As Jack sauntered out of archives, leaving her alone, Rhi wondered if she'd just made the best choice of her life or the biggest mistake. It didn't help when not ten seconds later, Jack peeked around the corner and said, "By the way, your first duty will be to find the desk in my office. It's currently buried in paperwork."

"What's the second?" she asked, following him out and back up to the main part of the hub.

Looking at the two women slumbering on the couch, he smiled. How many times had this been a typical scene with his crew? For the first time in years, Jack felt like life existed in the hub again. Not just the living, but _life_. Smiling, he looked down at Rhiannon and then nodded toward Martha.

"Your second duty is to find me a bloody doctor," he stated, slowly heading in the direction of his office. "If we're going to be Torchwood, then we need someone who can handle the shit that blows through the rift, not to mention someone to stitch us up on occasion."

"Will that be all?" she sarcastically asked. "Or would you like me to find a way to change the weather patterns of Cardiff while I'm at it?"

"Only if you want," he replied with a sparkling grin, before spinning on his heels and heading to his office.

"Maybe I can find some artifact that will rain on top of your head," Rhi threatened as she retreated towards the archives. She might as well make use of her time while waiting for Johnny and the kids to return.

"Good luck with that," Jack yelled at her retreating back. "If one existed, Ianto or Owen would've done it years ago!"

As Jack headed into his office and Rhi disappeared down the stairs, Gwen's eyes fluttered open. When Martha's opened as well, the two women glanced at each other and grinned. Gwen let giddiness shiver over every nerve and smiled even wider.

Their captain had returned.


	11. Epilogue

**Title: Gone Today, Here Tomorrow (Epilogue)  
Author:** CSIGeekFan  
**Rating:** Teen for language  
**Disclaimer:** BBC owns Torchwood.  
**Spoilers:** Through CoE (Series 3)  
**Summary:** Jack returns to Torchwood two years after the events of CoE.  
**Author's Notes:** Reviews and concrit are appreciated. I toyed with this and debated whether or not to post. In the end, I figured that since it was written, I might as well share. I only hope it doesn't detract from the overall story. I hope you enjoy. And while I'm writing this, I want to take a moment to say 'thanks' to everyone who reviewed, messaged me, and encouraged me to keep writing. I hope this seems a fitting end to the story.

**X X X**

A year later, Jack still found himself frequenting that one private spot on the docks, where he could have a bit of privacy and fresh air at the same time.

"Thought I'd find you out here," Gwen said, sauntering up in the morning sun, holding a cup of coffee in her hand. "Get to be a bit too much for you in the hub?"

"Naw," Jack replied from his position, leaned against the rope railing. "Just wanted a bit of fresh air."

As silence ensued, Jack let the sun beat down on his face, and inhaled deep. The salty tang of the sea behind him pulled the taste of the bay into his mouth and he smiled sadly. T Some days, memories pulled too hard.

"Are you all right?" Gwen asked, leaning herself against the wooden post near him.

He could feel her studying his face, and knew without a doubt she was wondering about him still – worrying he'd take off once again, only this time forever. Jack would've liked to make the promise that he'd be here forever, but he couldn't. A man could only live for so long before he had to move on or get buried by emotion.

"I'm not going anywhere in the near future," he softly said, turning his face to look at her. Relief washed through him when she gave him a gap-toothed grin, and he knew she'd accepted his words. Sometimes convincing her of any little thing could be exhausting.

"Things are certainly changing," Gwen stated, smiling wide. And they were. Just two days ago, Rhys had stood in front of Jack, given the Torchwood leader a wide grin, and said, "This time I know something before you!"

"What?" Jack had asked, schooling his face with an innocent expression. "Is Gwen pregnant again?"

The sputtering that had come out of Rhys's mouth had been beyond incoherent, but so much fun to watch.

"Has Rhys forgiven me yet?" Jack asked the glowing brunette.

"For knowing before him again or for the tongue you slipped him while he muttered incoherently?" Gwen asked, making Jack bark a laugh.

As comfortable silence ensued, Jack let himself get a little lost in memory – Alice's birth, Steven as a baby, Ianto's anguish when talking about Lisa… all of them made up a part of who he was now.

He'd made a promise to the young man. Ianto had been terrified he'd be forgotten – something that looking back, Jack could see made up a significant part of the young man himself. How could Ianto know that at the end of the day, he'd been the one to give Jack the feeling of purpose he'd needed to change into the man he was today? To that end, Ianto could _never_ be forgotten.

"I'd apologize for Rhys walking into the hub with Evan again, but I liked it," Gwen said with a quick grin. "In fact, I'm thinking of setting up a room for the kids."

And why not? Jack mused. Things were changing. No longer did the team revolve solely around each other. Little outside forces had begun to creep in, uncomfortably at first, and more welcoming as time went on. Mica, David, Evan, and the new baby made up an important part of the world in which Torchwood existed.

"I'd say to do it," he finally replied. "However, considering Rhi occasionally brings her kids in and stations them in the video room she set up a few months back…"

"You knew?" Gwen asked.

Snorting, Jack replied, "Of course. People may surprise me, but I know my team."

"Well, not to worry. Our new doctor loves spending time with the kids," she said. "In fact, Cene's often down in the vid room playing the latest and greatest game with David."

Their new doctor had been a pleasant addition to the team. A bit on the quiet side, he loved a good challenge. And how many physicians had worked in hospital, in military war camps, _and_ in research – all by the age of thirty?

Cene was one of those rare, brilliant stars. Besides, with his golden good looks, lean and lithe body, and dark chocolate eyes, _all_ of them liked to just look at him. Maybe pant a little. In Jack's case, the flirt-fest had started the day they met, much to the shy doctor's consternation.

It had turned into a tease and challenge contest between the two men, as they pranked each other incessantly, constantly trying to surprise one another.

"Well, I'm off," Gwen murmured, lazily walking toward the hub, and leaving Jack to his thoughts. She'd only gotten five steps, when she turned and looked at him with a puzzled expression on her face. "I almost forgot. Cene wanted me to tell you he thinks you have a lovely name. Very fitting."

Lovely name? What was 'lovely' about the name Jack?

Then his mouth dropped open and he stared at Gwen, who shrugged and slowly walked away.

Grinning, Jack leaned back against the ropes. Yes, the good doctor was brilliant. More intelligent than even _he_ had given him credit for. Only one person knew the name his parents had given him – and that person was currently in a cryo chamber. Tilting his face to the sun, Jack let the heat seep through his pores and sighed contentedly.

Yes, things were changing. And wasn't it brilliant?


End file.
